Kenya’s leading mobile service provider Safaricom plans to improve its network coverage across the country. It has pumped in close to KSh25 billion (about US$298,000,000) toward the venture.
Safaricom last week unveiled a BTS station in Bungule, Voi in Kenya’s Coast Province.
The company, through its enterprise business unit general manager Sylvia Mulinge, said Safaricom wants to reach out to marginalised areas by providing superior network coverage to ensure they continue enjoying the services from the mobile service provider.
“We want to offer flawless communication to our subscribers irrespective of their locations and already we are installing solar powered base transmitters,” Mulinge said.
The company’s report, says that it has rolled out approximately more than 3,000 base transmitters installation countrywide and emphasised to increase the sites with over 10 percent in this financial year.
She further explained that the focus of the company is to adhere to the current constituency by rolling out to each of the 47 counties in the nation.
According to Safaricom, most of the current sites are linked to 3G network coverage but plans are underway to facilitate superior system of 4G with Nairobi named as the first county to benefit
The area’s Member of Parliament Dan Mwanzo hailed the mobile service provider effort in introducing latest technology all time saying Safaricom blackboard targeted at offering e-learning that was launched last year, will be vital in offering students a great opportunity of researching online thus leading to improvement in the education sector.
He complained that Bungule residents, travel for long distances which exposes them to danger posed by wild animals with the main purpose of looking for suitable locations to communicate with their family, friends or business people.
The problem of poor mobile phone network coverage is not new in the country, late last month NTV highlighted a story on Pokot residents.
They use all means to get a better setting to access to network, after travelling for long distances, climbing trees and houses to make calls is a daily routine.
Safaricom, was founded in 1997 by Telkom Kenya. In May 2000, Vodafone group- United Kingdom acquired 40 percent to offer management responsibility for the company.
Safaricom employs close to 1500 people, distributed in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret. The Communication Commission of Kenya’s June report ranks the firm as the leading in provision of services and subscribers. Other mobile service providers in the country comprises of Airtel Kenya, Essar’s YU and Orange Kenya
