The Communications Authority of Kenya is set to hand over 5G licenses to the first mobile network operators by December 2022.
According to a new draft policy outlining the 5G implementation road map, the regulator is planning to commence the 5G trial networks in 3.5 giga-Hertz (GHz) next month.
The CA is also planning a 5G summit in january 2022 with the implementation of 5G pilot projects slated to kick off in May.
Players in the industry will be able to access 5G spectrum via auction from the regulator in august before mobile network operators are allowed to implement the network commercially in November.
“The goal of this road-map is to facilitate implementation of 5G mobile technology for the benefit of the citizens, the economy and industry at large and make Kenya a global leader in 5G mobile technologies,” the CA said.
CA says that Kenya is developing innovative new use cases for 5G with an aim of spurring social-economic growth and job creation.
Read: Airtel Upgrades 600 Sites In Readiness for 5G Switch
The 5G switch is expected to enable more capable smartphones, faster and larger downloads, powerful streaming and a bigger network of connected devices.
Safaricom already started trialling its 5G network after unveiling 15 sites, with plans to increase the number to 200 by the end of 2021 in preparation for a commercial rollout.
Airtel also announced an upgrade of more than 600 sites with an aim of making them 5G ready.
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