Airtel Uganda, the leading Smartphone Network in Uganda has Thursday released 5G network after acquiring the spectrum from Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and will begin deployment in Kampala starting next week.
While unleashing the much anticipated 5G network at Sheraton Kampala Hotel, David Birungi, Public Relations Manager, Airtel Uganda warned customers and Smartphone users against cyber security and all security concerns that come with technological advancements.
Mr. Birungi stated the need for smartphone subscribers to desist from being carried out by scammers who often present ‘juicy’ offers which in actual sense do not exist but only a trap to their dirty tricks.
“We are pleased to announce to you the long awaited 5G network which is the 5th generation mobile network that enables a new kind of network designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices at very high speeds.
But much as we unveil to you the good news, there is need for you to be cautious and avoid falling prey to the scammers and cyber attackers. This includes clicking on malicious links and tapping on mostly unsecure wireless fidelity networks among others.”
The Telecom giant indicated in February 2023 that its 100% 4G network then, was 5G ready and had applied for the required spectrum to start rolling out this revolutionary technology. They indicated then, that tests had been successful at 11 sites in Kampala.
It delivers higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users.
5G can support up to 1 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.
Airtel indicated that they will deploy 5G in 50 sites in the course of next week beginning with areas such as; parliament avenue, Fairway area, Speak Apartment, crested towers among others.
Customers with 5G compatible devices can now enjoy the 5G experience. All other 2500 Airtel sites across the country shall be deployed on a site-by-site basis. A list of roll out plans shall be communicated on the Airtel Website and social media.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Manoj Murali, Managing Director Airtel Uganda cited, “I am privileged to announce that the wait for 5G is over. We have gotten the required spectrum and shall be begin deployment next week. We were able to transform the way people, businesses and communities connect and do business using 4G and are grateful to our partners for the support on that journey.
5G will revolutionize the way people, businesses and industry connect and improve their productivity because of the super-fast internet speeds. We are deeply honored to be delivering yet another Airtel first”
“I would like to extend my gratitude to the regulator, UCC, partners like Huawei, ATC and the media for the support on this journey,” Murali concluded.
5G is famed for its immense applications is Home broad band activities like gaming, virtual reality, and other entertainment. In Manufacturing, commercial agriculture, smart grids, 5G is useful for condition monitoring and other industrial applications.
In health and education, 5G is important for delivery of fast High-Definition videos for services like telemedicine and smart e-learning.
