Kenya is the second nation in Africa to implement 5G.

A 5G network has been introduced in Kenya by mobile network operator Safaricom. As per the Global System of Mobile Operators (GSMA), this places it as the second nation in Africa to introduce the technology to its clientele. The system is being tested by the corporation in four locations, and over the next year, it plans to be expanded to nine.

Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom, called the launch last week “a major milestone for the country.” The initiative is being carried out by the telecom business with technology from Huawei, a Chinese corporation, and Nokia, a Finnish company.

When a commercial 5G network is launched, according to the GSMA, it means that customers will be able to purchase a 5G subscription. In South Africa, MTN and Vodacom introduced 5G last year. Although 5G trials are being carried out by telecom operators in a number of other African nations, they are not yet generally accessible for public usage and are therefore not taken into account in the GSMA’s tally.

Kenyans are now the first country in Africa to deploy 5G, however concerns about investor and market preparedness for widespread adoption of the technology still exist. Therefore, even while widespread 5G adoption in the area is a good potential, it could not happen very soon.

5G is the fifth generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks. It offers data speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G and lower latency (the delay before data transfer begins after an instruction for its transfer.). It can also support up to 1 million connected devices per square kilometer, compared to up to 100,000 for 4G.

Safaricom’s introduction of the technology in Kenya is “an important step in Africa’s 5G journey,” says Kenechi Okeleke, the lead author of a 2019 report on 5G in sub-Saharan Africa by GSMA . “This move will draw a lot of attention to the potential of 5G in the region and the benefits it can bring to society,” he tells Quartz.

The initial focus will be on how 5G will enhance broadband connectivity for Safaricom, says Okeleke, director at GSMA’s research arm, GSMA Intelligence. However, he adds, given the company’s track record in tech innovation, many observers will be on the lookout for potential new use cases that Safaricom could develop for Africa’s unique challenges and customer needs.

Fiber optic-like connectivity

5G’s faster speeds bring fiber optic-like connectivity to homes—a broadband connection that can reach speeds of up to 940 megabits per second. This would be a game changer for African businesses and schools that do not have access to fiber-optic internet, especially in a post-Covid-19 world where activities including work, learning, and entertainment are increasingly happening online, Okeleke says.

The technology could enable new and existing technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things—the interconnection via the internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects—to have a transformative impact on business processes, helping drive productivity and efficiency, Okeleke says. This has the potential to spark innovative solutions, particularly in extractive sectors such as mining and oil and gas, he adds, and help financial services and logistics sectors in the continent.

Low penetration

Currently, only 3% of the world’s mobile phone connections are on 5G (Asia is in the lead, with 5% of mobile connections on 5G). But GSMA Intelligence estimates that by 2025, 5G will likely to cover a third of the world’s population.