Ethio telecom has finished its preparation to pilot the 5th generation (5G) network for the first time in the country with the launch expected next week, Capital has learnt.
The company is implementing the project using technology from the Chinese technology company Huawei. As sources said, Ethio telecom has been working on the preparation for the last two months.
5G is set to be introduced to deal with the high volume of data transmission in dense urban networks in the country and will be upgraded to the existing 4G infrastructure which will help in user demand whilst solving data traffic.
Few months ago while speaking about the performance of the firm, Frehiwot Tamiru, CEO of Ethio telecom explained that the telecommunication company was taking the necessary preparation to start deploying 5G networks in the country within a short period of time, before 2022, as per its plans. “Ethio telecom is undergoing network infrastructure and system enhancements to pilot 5G networks soon and we’ve made some of our networks ready for 5G,” mentioned the CEO in here recent previous speeches while addressing the performance and future plans of the company.
The network is said to be applied on hotspot areas in Addis Ababa, including the areas around the head office of Ethio telecom and premises of Bole international Airport.
As previously highlighted by the CEO, Ethio telecom has upgraded its business management system to Huawei-powered “New Generation Business Support System (NGBSS)” which is designed to allow Ethio telecom to bill 5G network services to fit with its plan with view to modernize services and enhance customer’s experience.
The new development will make Ethiopia early adopters of 5G in Africa, yet the question remain over investor and market readiness for mass use of the technology across the continent.
Globally, 5G network services for commercial use were first deployed in 2018 by Verizon. In Africa, 5G networks are available in Kenya and South Africa.
The Global Partnership for Ethiopia Consortium (GPEC), led by Kenya’s Safaricom, which was officially granted the first private telecommunication operator’s few months ago, also plans to begin operation with 4G network services and quickly introduce 5G. Having acquired a 15-year telecom operation license for 850 million dollars, the operator is scheduled to start in early 2022.