Togocom launched its commercial 5G network in the capital of Lome, claiming to be the first West African operator to achieve the milestone.
In a statement, the telecoms group said the deployment makes it the third African country to deploy 5G on a commercial basis, and its strength including download speeds that are double that of 4G and low latency, will be utilised to accelerate digital development and transformations to support Togo’s economic growth while providing better access to education.
Cina Lawson, minister of digital economy and digital transformation, said the network standard will “facilitate innovative uses” in various sectors of the Togolese economy such as energy, health, industry, and transport.
But also, pledged the government will continue to push through with mobile coverage for the whole population. “It is therefore important to ensure that the deployment of this technology is not limited to only large cities but that it contributes to an improvement in the quality of coverage so that all localities in Togo can benefit from 5G services”, said Lawson.
Paulin Alazard, Togocom chief executive added: “We are proud to have met the challenge of launching 5G in just one year in accordance with our roadmap. All the Togocom teams, whom I greet and congratulate, have rallied around this major project which is a new step forward for Togo.
The launch comes after the company’s mobile arm Togocel (Togo Cellulaire) was granted a license to trial 5G services in real-world conditions.