The demand for broadband connectivity continues to accelerate in Africa. In Zambia, the government wants to help telecom operators build their capacity to better meet this demand in a context of accelerated digital transformation.

Telecom operator MTN Zambia is working with the Zambian government to commercially launch fifth-generation (5G) mobile technology in Zambia on November 24. This was announced by Felix Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science, on Thursday November 17 on the sidelines of the 10th edition of the “Innovation Africa” summit.

According to Mr. Mutati, the launch of 5G will enable the Zambian government to “  create a positive experience for customers, create the speed needed and ensure that Zambia is truly in the Champions League  ”. He added that the executive is working to make mobile network services accessible and affordable to all Zambians, ensuring that the cost of information and communication technology infrastructure is reduced.

The move comes 11 months after MTN Zambia started the pilot phase of its 5G mobile network with technical expertise from Chinese technology company Huawei. It is, according to Mr. Mutati, part of the government’s digital transformation program. Digital is a central pillar of the “Vision 2030” which aims to make Zambia “  a prosperous middle-income nation by 2030  ”.

In particular, the launch of 5G should allow MTN to respond more effectively to the growing demand for high-speed connectivity and the new demands of Zambian consumers. This will not only allow the operator to increase its revenues, but also to get ahead of its competitors who are also preparing for the deployment of the new technology. Its rival Airtel Zambia recently acquired additional frequencies which should allow it to launch 5G, among other things.

Source: Agence Ecofin