(Ecofin Agency) - Sao Tome and Principe is one of the last African countries to adopt 4G. In 2021, its incumbent operator, CST, had to pressure the telecom regulator to speed things up. 

Telecom service provider Unitel STP recently announced the launch of its fourth-generation (4G) mobile network in Sao Tome and Principe. The operator becomes the first in the country to deploy this "cutting-edge" technology, which is expected to improve the quality of connectivity services and accelerate digital transformation.

The launch of 4G follows successful tests carried out, on April 7, by Unitel STP with the approval of the General Regulatory Authority (AGER). The operator secured a license for fixed and mobile networks in March 2013 when the national telecom market -till then controlled by incumbent operator Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicações (CST)-was being liberalized.

The 4G network is expected to accelerate the development of the telecom market. In May 2021, CST called on the regulator to take responsibility for deploying the technology, which had already been launched in almost all African countries. The operator even applied for a pilot implementation of the 4G but its call went unheeded.

"We intend to boost investments in São Tomé notably [...] on issues like precision agriculture. We know that there is a very favorable ecosystem for the promotion and industrialization of our agriculture in São Tomé. São Tomé is a country with sunshine, beautiful beaches, and fertile soil, and we believe that technology can revolutionize all of these," said Inoweze Ferreira, general manager of Unitel STP.

Isaac K. Kassouwi