The Government plans to introduce the 4G network into the country through a joint consortium with internet providers in the country. The 4G will replace the 3G which has been in use in the country for some time now. Safaricom, which is one of the few firms who have expressed interest in the joint venture, however differs with the government on the network frequencies and threatens to pull out of the venture.
The government insists on the use of 2.6 GHz frequency as opposed to 700MHz which Safaricom says requires less Base Transmitter Stations (BTS). The 700MHz frequencies are commonly used for the provision of Long Term Evolution (LTE) in rural regions, but are less effective in built-up urban areas .The 4G technology has a larger capacity to deliver data and facilitate high-end services such as video conferencing and gaming.
According to Mr.Nkioka Waita, Safaricom’s corporate affairs director, the 2.6GHz spectrum covers a radius of just 400 meters, whereas 700MHz spectrum is capable of covering a distance of between 19.2km and 28.8km, necessitating fewer BTS.
The 4G ownership structure is modeled on a Private Public Partnership (PPP), where the government and the operators –including foreign firms – will own stakes in the network equivalent to the capital they inject in the special purpose entity.
Other participants officially confirmed for inclusion in the partnership as per October last year were; Airtel Kenya, Essar Telecom Kenya (yu) , Orange Kenya, Kenya Data Networks (KDN) ,MTN Business Kenya, global vendors Alcatel-Lucent (France), Epesi Technologies (US) and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN, Finland).
The venture will see the operators inject Sh10 billion to start construction of the advanced network with the government providing frequencies for a stake.
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