Madagascar's mobile operator, Telecom Malagasy (Telma) has signed a network upgrade services contract with Ericsson valued at US$100-million.

The four-year services deal covers Telma's main network and its radio access network, and is expected to result in increased capacity and peak throughput to bolster user experience.

According to the agreement, 2,000 mobile sites will be deployed to ensure that Telma's network coverage spans across the country. LTE Advanced Pro (4.5G) will also be deployed in high density areas and will later be upgraded to 5G.

Telma's chief executive officer Patrick Pisal-Hamida and Ericsson's West Africa office director Nora Wahby committed to the agreement.

"With increased capacity, higher data rates and lower latency, Telma customers will benefit from high quality services," Pisal-Hamida said.

"Telma is focused on creating a network for people on the move who can now be assured of a good connection on their phones, tablets and laptops across Madagascar."

According to Worldwide broadband speed league 2019, Madagascar has the fastest internet speed in Africa with an average broadband speed of 22.57Mbps, which ranks the country in 33rd position globally.

This is attributed to, among other factors, the impact of the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) which is a 10,000 kilometer-long undersea fiber optic cable stretching from Sudan to South Africa and serving Madagascar's urban centres.