Kenya's telecom firm launches 4G service to boost internet speeds

NAIROBI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's second largest telecommunication service provider, Airtel, on Wednesday launched its 4G service that aims to offer faster internet speeds to its customers.

Prasanta Das Sarma, Airtel Kenya Managing Director, told a media briefing in Nairobi that the new 4G service was being launched following a year of trial.

"The 4G service will enable subscribers to enjoy faster browsing speeds, improved network responsiveness, more media on devices with the most affordable data packs in Kenya," Sarma said.

Sarma added that a substantial part of Airtel customers use smartphones and a large portion of them also have 4G enabled smart phones and devices and therefore this is the best time to launch the 4G services.

He noted that the Airtel 4G will initially be available in Nairobi and Mombasa followed by extended investment and roll-out to other towns and cities as part of the on-going service improvement plan.

According to Sarma, the introduction of 4G services will further enhance the growth of data usage and improve Airtel's market share among data customers.

The newly launched Airtel 4G network is among the fastest developing systems in the history of mobile telecommunications.

Sarma said that the advantages of 4G are already impacting service delivery in various businesses and industries from health care to automobile industries among others.

Airtel Kenya is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited which has operations in 17 countries across Asia and Africa.

The telecom firm which launched its 3G services in 2015 has eight million customers, representing a 350 percent growth since the firm entered the Kenyan market in 2010. Enditem