Airtel Malawi rolls out 4G services

Mobile operator, Airtel Malawi has officially rolled out its 4th Generation (4G) 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile technology. The operator seeks to meet the demands of the market and its customers for faster, seamless internet connectivity which is more stable and with reinforced data services. 4G coverage is accessible in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

Charles Kamoto, Airtel Managing Director said the plan of the mobile company has always been to provide fast and reliable internet services to its customers.

“It is an exciting time for us at Airtel as we launch the 4G services. The 4G network layer enriches the experience of mobile app users and consequently drives innovations for business,” said Kamoto.

He said although the 4G/LTE mobile has been there for a while on the global market, slow device penetration held back their plans to introduce the service soon enough in the country for their customers.

“As soon as we noticed significant growth in the number of our customers with 4G smartphones and their growing appetite for data, we decided to roll out the 4th Generation mobile technology on our network to meet this demand,” he said.

Minister of Information and Communications Technology Nicholas Dausi said the launching of the 4G by Airtel is a milestone given government’s vision of extending information and communication technologies to the people.

“Let me take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to Airtel Malawi for catching up with trending global standards of mobile technology and 1nally adding the 4G layer to their network infrastructure,” said Dausi.

The Minister said internet plays a vital role in the delivery of services across all sectors of the economy as it enables people in business, in workplaces and households to have access to global markets and close business deals.

“Government is particularly interested in the development of the internet and its accessibility in order to enhance the broader development agenda of enhancing our growth development product, job creation and improving our daily lives,” he said.

The country’s Internet penetration is less than five percent, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which makes Malawi one of the countries with the lowest penetration rates in the world.

Edited by Fundisiwe Maseko
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