Mauritius Telecom has entrenched the island nation’s 5G capacity and its global standing among African countries progressing with this technology, after deploying my.t 5G zones and opening the network to public use.

The telecommunications firm announced the deployment of four 5G Experience Zones in Ebène, at the University of Mauritius, at Bagatelle Mall and La City Trianon.

Sherry Singh, CEO of Mauritius Telecom, launched the zones this month at the Hennessy Park hotel, Ebene, together with Deepak Balgobin, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation.

Singh said the local mobile market is already saturated and 5G is mainly used in large companies around the world to connect millions of devices “in the IOT universe”, but 5G compatible devices are that not numerous today.

All these factors make the 'business model' a real challenge, Singh added. “Despite a challenging business environment, we have to make a step and get our country ready for tomorrow’s Technology… today."

With the launch of the Experience Zones, Mauritius Telecom says it is the first operator to deploy a 5G mobile network in the country - and for the first time an operator will build its network together with its customers.

According to Mauritius Telecom, 5G allows very high speed mobile internet. The first tests on my.t mobile's 5G network in areas with 5G coverage have shown that a user can reach a download speed of 1.6 Gbps, which is up to 10 times faster than 4G.

The company adds that in areas with 5G coverage, users can benefit from ultra-low latency, i.e. ultra-fast streaming, ideal for live events, games or AR and VR applications.

“To enjoy the benefits of 5G, you need to have a 5G phone. In Mauritius, there are currently more than 10,000 5G compatible smartphones. For now, the only 5G compatible smartphone available in Telecom Shops is the Huawei P40 Pro. The iPhone 12 and Samsung S21 will be available with 5G after updates from the manufacturers. To enjoy the 5G experience, you will need to register either on myt.mu /5g. You will then receive a notification that will allow you to connect to the my.t 5G network, if your phone is compatible.”