Telkom Partners With Ericsson to Improve Its 4G Coverage

In a bid to win a bigger market share than its competitors, Telkom Kenya has signed an MoU with Ericsson, a networks and telecoms company, alongside NEC XON, a systems integrator to improve the telco’s presence in the country.

The telco’s plan is to add 2000 sites onto the operator’s network by 2023. The sites will be distributed across the country, and will reportedly cost USD 100 million.

The network expansion will also see Telkom connect more than 200 learning institutions and over 30 medical facilities to the internet, thereby boosting the use of remote learning and e-health solutions.

This follows a 2020 network expansion plan that still seeks to reorganize and address digital transformation in Kenya.

“Two of our commitments are to better position our infrastructure asset base and services to drive digital transformation within our various customer segments thus providing them with more value, as well as bridge the digital divide through the expansion of our mobile data network. We are already working on the upgrade and expansion of our network at the Coast. The partnership we have signed today will see Telkom and our partners kick off a new network expansion project, guided by our long-term growth strategy,” said Telkom CEO Mugo Kibati.

The network expansion will also see Telkom connect more than 200 learning institutions and over 30 medical facilities to the internet, thereby boosting the use of remote learning and e-health solutions.

Telkom Kenya was only the second telco in Kenya to introduce 4G connectivity after Safaricom. The telco had initiated this plan tio increase 4G connectivity access across the country but the plans didn’t fall through at the on set of COVID 19 in Kenya.

While access is limited to major towns, Telkom did attempt to reach underserved marked through its Loon Program with Google. Besides, even President Kenyatta hastened the rollout of Loon (license-wise), following the start of the pandemic in early 2020.

However, the Loon Project did not succeed, and Google, and by extension, Telkom Kenya, abandoned the project altogether. Telkom’s failed merger with Airtel only made it more difficult for the telco to expand its 4G connectivity.

The plans will now be materialised with Telkom’s MoU with Ericsson to set up the 4G sites all across the country.