Airtel Uganda has activated the first 5G site at Bulange, Mengo to boost connectivity and digital inclusion in Uganda.

In February this year, Airtel Uganda conducted tests on at least 11 4G sites in Kampala after applying for a spectrum at the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to start deploying the 5G network across the country.

5G is the 5th generation mobile network that enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices at very high speeds. It delivers higher multi-gbps peak data speeds, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users.

Airtel Uganda managing director, Manoj Murali revealed, “We recently announced that Airtel Uganda secured the 5G spectrum to start its deployment across the city and today we are pleased to activate our first site here at Bulange in Mengo.”

He added, “The central business district which hosts Mengo is characterized by high socio-economic activity, hence there is a continuous need to improve connectivity so that our people can access improved telecommunication services via Airtel’s 5G network, to connect families and friends to their loved ones, as well as businesses to their existing customers or new prospects.”

UCC executive director Eng Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo appreciated Airtel Uganda for rolling out 5G as digital inclusion is among the strategy engrained in the national vision 2040 that looks at ICT as a platform for improving the livelihoods of our people, and the 5G will guarantee that we have fast speeds which will support the transform our various sectors like agriculture which is our key economic activity, not forgetting the education, health among other sectors.

5G Network can support up to one million connected devices per square kilometre compared to 4G which can only support up to 100,000 connected devices in a similar area. This makes 5G the suitable network over which remote teams can collaborate to undertake tasks like surgery, shared online school classes, farmers can share live video farming tips, engineering tasks over video and stream gaming, and other entertainment experiences.

Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, second deputy katikkiro of Buganda, who represented katikkiro Peter Mayiga recognized Airtel’s investments in Buganda and the country as a whole which investment has contributed to the country’s socio-economic growth mentioning that, “Today we are pleased to witness the key milestone of powering Mengo on Airtel’s 5G which network which showcases Airtel’s innovative approach of creating solutions through technologies that influence socio-economic growth of our region and the entire country.”

“We have collaborated with Airtel Uganda for the last 10 years through which we have introduced services like the Airtel K2 network and as we mark the 30th Coronation Anniversary, of His Majesty Ronald Mutebi, the deployment of 5G is timely because it will allow our youth to engage in productive initiatives using the reliable internet so that they can positively impact their lives and their communities by leveraging the power of technology,” Nsibirwa added.

Besides Mengo, Airtel will power other 2500 sites on a site-by-site basis and a list of roll-out plans will be issued on Airtel’s website and social media platforms. The 5G Network will be accessed by customers with 5 G-compatible devices.

“In line with our new brand promise of supporting our communities and Ugandans to have ‘A Reason to Imagine’, we will continue to roll out products and services as well as improve our infrastructure, like the 5G deployment we have unveiled today so that we can revolutionize the way people, businesses and industries connect which investment is aimed at improving their productivity because of the networks super-fast internet speeds.” Murali said.