Vodacom has become the first operator in Mozambique to launch commercial 5G, with its network now available in Maputo City.
Mateus Magala, Minister of Transport and Communications, hailed the launch, saying: “5G Technology will significantly improve the quality of the telecommunications service provided in the country, particularly in the materialization of the internet of things (IoT) and ‘smart everything’ (smart cities, smart agriculture, smart ports, etc.), as it is the technology that better supports these cases.”
Vodacom Mozambique CEO Nuno Quelhas added that 5G would help “improve the quality of life and promote the growth of our young nation”, and highlighted use cases such as intelligent transport networks, asset tracking, smart cities and utilities, industrial automation, and home broadband using 5G.
Quelhas added that 5G would help to expand financial inclusion in Mozambique, saying “the aim is to cover 75% of the adult Mozambican population by 2025 and make payments through M-Pesa available anywhere in the country.”
According to the operator’s director general, Simon Karikari, Vodacom Mozambique has 11 million connections, with six million M-Pesa subscribers. He added that the operator’s proportional internet coverage is 75% for 2G and 80% for 4G.