Safaricom-Huawei partnership to roll out the first 5G network in Kenya

Safaricom with Huawei to roll out 5G network. PHOTO | BMS

Kenyas' Telecom giant Safaricom will consider awarding a contract to China’s Huawei as it rolls out its fifth-generation (5G) network this year, its acting chief executive Michael Joseph said.


The United States government has been pushing its European partners and others not to use Huawei, one of Safaricom’s network vendors along with Nokia, citing security concerns.


“We will use Huawei in 5G … What will we do in terms of the American statements about not using Huawei? We don’t have that situation in Africa,” acting CEO Michael Joseph said.

“They would have to figure a way of working it out just the same way that the UK is trying to figure it out,” said Eric Musau of Standard Investment Bank in Nairobi.


“There is a demand for more and more bandwidth, more and more speed,” he said,


Safaricom said it planned to extend services to Ethiopia, which has promised to open up the state-run telecoms industry. Two operating licences are expected to be offered.