Safaricom is set to boost its enterprise services following a pilot with Nokia’s fixed wireless access (FWA) 5G, which is the first of its kind in Africa.
In a statement, Nokia said the pilot used Safaricom’s live 4G and 5G networks comprising radio, core and transport. It used a multi-vendor network environment and took place in Western Kenya.
Safaricom’s trial is part of a move to widen its enterprise offering which includes ambitions to deliver application slicing and fast line internet access.
James Maitai, Safaricom network director, noted it intended to begin “tailoring our service offerings to individual customers and industries, to meet their needs for high-speed connectivity precisely and without unnecessary cost”.
The development comes as Safaricom continues work to develop 5G in its home market, which was one of the first in Africa to receive the latest network technology when Safaricom began live trials in parts of its footprint during March 2021.
Its vendors for its 5G network rollout are Huawei and Nokia.
