Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa.

Airtel Africa is expanding its strategic partnership with Ericsson to enable 4G coverage in Kenya, after a network modernisation deal signed in August.

According to a statement released to the media, the deal means Airtel subscribers stand to benefit from enhanced quality of voice and data via Ericsson’s Radio Access Network (RAN) and packet core products for 4G.

The deal is in line with the 'Kenyan Digital Economy Blueprint Vision 2030' which aims to provide robust connectivity in rural areas and facilitate e-commerce platforms.

“The modernisation deal will simplify and upgrade the existing network while future-proofing it for the anticipated and rapid expansion of mobile connectivity in the country,” the companies explain.

“With Ericsson Radio System and Packet Core solutions, Airtel Kenya’s network will have 4G coverage, while driving enhanced use cases in both the consumer and the enterprise segments. Ericsson technology will also get the network in Kenya ready for 5G deployment,” they add.

Prasanta Das Sarma, CEO at Airtel Kenya said: “Robust and secure communications are an essential component of a digital society in Kenya. We are firmly anchored to the strategy of delivering reliable connections across the country and are looking forward to expanding the high-quality mobile broadband services to our subscribers.”

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, added: “Together with Airtel, we will implement this project and establish an advanced LTE network in Kenya, providing Airtel’s customers with an enriched experience – both in the consumer and business segments. Through this partnership, we reaffirm our ambition to set ‘Africa in motion’ by partnering with Airtel to grow and support an increasingly digitalized society in Kenya.”

As part of this project, Ericsson will deploy its Kathrein Mobile Communication Antenna portfolio which will provide additional enhancements to the network.

The technologically advanced network management system, Ericsson Network Manager, will also be utilised to support Airtel in seamlessly managing the network by integrating various network elements into a single platform.