Airtel brings 3.75G services to Kenya

This is the latest global HSPSA plus technology with 21 Mbps speed, which has also been rolled out in Europe and the USA. It is reportedly the fastest 3G available and will be enormously beneficial for a variety of users, including large corporates, small or medium businesses and the youth.

"The technology on our 3.75G network will give our customers the opportunity to interact with data in a different way," explained Shivan Bhargava, chief operating officer, Airtel Kenya.

"This is why Airtel doesn't see 3G as a product but a platform that enables the community expand its social and commercial horizons, alongside the rest of the world."

According to Bhargava, Airtel will be rolling out its data network across all of Kenya with the objective of building the fastest and largest 3G network across the country, and will continue to provide useful and innovative services to make use of this new technology.

Faster access to the internet

He added, "Our 3.75G platform will allow customers to combine the enormous potential of the internet with the convenience of cellular phones and other devices. It will liberate the potential of our youth, through enabling fast access to the internet for social networking, creating, accessing and sharing learning content like e-books and music. For the small and medium business, it will enable the entrepreneur to embrace a highly mobile way of working with high speed access to email and internet and it will allow large companies to increase productivity through vastly enhanced mobile internet speeds and access to record and allow for communication via video calls on handsets."

The new 3.75G network will initially be available to Airtel customers in the key commercial centers of Kenya including Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret and Naivasha. The company will also be offering its customers a free seven-day trial during the first 15 days. Customers can access the this offer by simply sending an SMS with the word "start" to 544.

"Kenya is an emerging market and subscribers all over the country are increasingly demanding better network quality and superior services. We have partnered with Bharti Airtel to deliver the right infrastructure and solutions to help them meet these demands." says Dimitri Diliani, head of Africa region, Nokia Siemens Networks. "With our strong products and services portfolio, we will partner and support Bharti Airtel to deliver HSPA+ technology, which will enable their customers in Kenya to enjoy high-speed mobile Internet services. This technology will enable Bharti Airtel deliver a unique experience to their customers."

"We are pleased to have been selected by Airtel for the upgrade of their network in Kenya, and see mobile broadband as key to realising our vision of the networked society," said Lars Linden, head of Ericsson sub-Saharan Africa. "The new technology will enable Airtel to meet its desire to provide its customers with the most advanced solutions and quality browsing experience to its customers in Kenya and Africa".