The goal, it says, is to gradually roll out the 5G network to other areas while achieving 100% 5G coverage in Lusaka, Kitwe, and Ndola by the middle of 2023. MTN has launched its 5G network in Zambia, becoming the first mobile operator to offer 5G services commercially in the country. The telecommunications giants continue to provide 5G services across Africa following successful launches in South Africa and Nigeria, The leading mobile services provider in Zambia launched its fifth-generation mobile network after completing the 11-month-long trial of the revolutionary technology, enabling consumers to have fast-paced and indestructible internet speed. According to Bart Hofker, the CEO of MTN Zambia, the services cover approximately 65% of the population in Lusaka, Kitwe, and Ndola, as well as parts of Chingola, Solwezi, and Kalumbila. MTN’s 5G services, which follow 5G trials over the past 11 months, have been activated to cover about 65% of the population in the cities of Lusaka, Kitwe and Ndola as well as parts of Chingola, Solwezi and Kalumbila – about 15% of the whole country’s population. The goal, it says, is to gradually roll out the 5G network to other areas while achieving 100% 5G coverage in Lusaka, Kitwe, and Ndola by the middle of 2023. MTN CEO Ralph Mupita commenting on the launch in a relatively new market like Zambia, said that, “we see great opportunities across various sectors, and in the mining industry in particular”—possibly as a nod to private network rollouts. He also mentioned that MTN Zambia was the group’s third operation in Africa to roll out commercial 5G services – after previous launches in South Africa in June 2020 and Nigeria in September 2022. “5G can transform business and livelihoods beyond simple connectivity, with the potential to unlock many new use cases. In Zambia, we see great opportunities across many sectors, and in the mining industry in particular,” he said. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia thanked MTN and Huawei for making Zambia’s first-ever 5G network possible during a formal ceremony to mark the milestone. More on the Zambia 5G launch MTN began operations in Zambia in 2005 after acquiring Telecel and now offers communications services in all ten provinces, including 4G, 3G, and 2G networks. In January, the telecoms giant became the first telco in the country to launch a 5G network pilot that promised significantly improved technology with faster connectivity speed, ultra-low latency and greater bandwidth. The pilot launch was announced in a partnership with Chinese ICT giant Huawei to roll out 5G pilot demonstration sites in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces. According to the Zambian government, the launch put Zambia among the first ten countries in Africa to pilot 5G technology. MTN Zambia describes the rollout of 5G as a component of a larger network strategy that also includes the modernization and optimization of current 3G and 4G networks, the construction of a fibre ring in Zambia with MTN GlobalConnect, and expanding coverage to more remote locations. This launch represents a significant market coup for the second-biggest mobile operator in Zambia, with around 7.1 million mobile subscribers against Airtel Zambia’s total of nearly 7.9 million subscribers, according to market research firm Omdia. MTN Zambia may not be the country’s sole 5G player for long, however. In October Airtel Zambia purchased 60MHz of additional spectrum spread across the 800MHz and 2600MHz bands for around US$29 million. It plans to use the spectrum for expanding its mobile and fixed services, which will include a 5G rollout. Read also: “5G is 10 times faster than what we have” | Experts discuss 5G launch on Twitter Spaces 5G expansion across Africa In Africa, 4G is still growing, and 5G is on the operators’ radar. A small number of nations have now followed South Africa, which was the first in the area to introduce 5G service, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, the Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Bot...