Summary
- Equitel, in partnership with Airtel, becomes the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) to launch 5G services in Africa.
- The 5G rollout by Equitel adds to the existing 5G providers in Kenya, with Safaricom being the pioneer in October 2022, followed by Airtel in July 2023.
- Equitel’s 5G services are currently available in over 370 locations nationwide, and the company aims to extend coverage to densely populated areas.
Equitel has today announced the launch of its 5G services in partnership with their host mobile network operator-Airtel. This makes Equitel the first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to offer 5G services in Africa.
The introduction of Equitel 5G brings the total number of 5G providers to 3 in Kenya. Safaricom was the first to roll out 5G in the country back in October 2022 followed by Airtel in July 2023. Since Equitel is an MVNO and does not own the network infrastructure, it relies on its host operator, Airtel in this case. This means that the roll out of its 5G services was imminent since Airtel did so last year.
Equitel has rolled out its 5G service in over 370 locations nationwide, including towns such as Mombasa, Nakuru, Nairobi, Athi River, Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya, Eldoret, and Bungoma among others. Late last year, Airtel revealed that it had plans to roll out its 5G services in 32 counties by the end of the year. Safaricom 5G is already available in over 35 counties across Kenya.
Equitel says it is working with Airtel to extend its 5G services to densely populated areas like residential neighborhoods, shopping centres and central business districts.
How to get Equitel 5G
To use Equitel 5G services, you need to have a 5G capable device supported by a 4G-LTE SIM card. Those who are still using a 3G SIM will have to upgrade to a 4G SIM card at any Equity bank branch.
Equitel is yet to share the 5G Packages and rates as of writing this. Safaricom 5G has packages starting at Ksh 3500 for a 400GB monthly bundle while Airtel packages start at Ksh 3000 for 300GB per month.
