NetOne to launch 5G services next month

Spread the love

Zimbabwean telco NetOne is set to launch 5G services in the country next month.

As reported by TechnoMag earlier this week, NetOne confirmed that it has been testing the technology ahead of a launch in October.

The company told the publication that it had tested its 5G technology at a couple of sites, including the parliament site in Mount Hampden, where it trialed the technology during the SADC summit.

“We have been pilot-testing various sites across Harare. We are happy with the transition and uptake so far, another key market that we are targeting is the IoT, where we are going to be connecting not just humans but machines as we make technology an enabler,” said NetOne CEO, Raphael Mushananwani to TechnoMag.

Mushananwani also noted that because of the cost of deploying the technology, the telco will carefully choose where to launch the service initially.

The network vendor for the 5G technology was not confirmed, though NetOne has previously signed a $71 million partnership with Chinese giant Huawei to upgrade its telecom infrastructure.

The telco, which has around 4.5 million mobile subscribers, is the second-largest carrier in Zimbabwe.

Rival network operator Econet launched its 5G service back in February 2022, more than two and a half years earlier.