In Senegal, Sonatel has covered 89% of the population with its 4G network. Currently, the company is seeking to move to 5G. Under this plan, it has recently conducted a second test of its 5G network in the town of Saly, and validated the compatibility of several categories of equipment with the technology. More importantly, the telco confirmed its ability to offer ultra-high-speed services to its consumers.

For this new successful experiment, during which it claims to have reached a speed of 2 gb/s, Sonatel was supported by the Finnish technology group Nokia. The company is reaffirming its commitment to provide top-notch services to its customers wherever they are in Senegal.

The ambition is to make "5G a key pillar for the development of our society and economy, in major areas such as agriculture, public health, education, entrepreneurship, skill-building, and employability," the company said.

Sonatel tested 5G in Senegal for the first time on November 24, 2020, three years after it launched 4G+ in September 2018. The company said it has invested CFA439 billion ($757 million) in its network in Senegal since 2016. It now claims 89% population coverage with 4G.

"Beyond improving the connectivity, 5G should facilitate the emergence of a huge IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem in which networks will be able to meet the communication needs of billions of connected objects, thanks to a balance between speed, latency, and cost. 5G will complement existing 4G networks to connect more people simultaneously with speeds never before achieved," Sonatel explained.

Launching 5G will earn the company additional revenues since it is currently the only operator ready to launch this technology on the Senegalese market.

Muriel Edjo