Saaricom will next week launch HSPA+ network giving the subscribers a speed of 42 Mbps. Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said initial roll-out will covers Data Belt within the Central Business District (CBD), Kileleshwa, Kilimani and Westlands. The Data Belt forms an area which has high Internet usage.
HSPA+ is a mainstream mobile technology and is quickly expanding. According to GSA A total of 241 operators have committed to HSPA+ network deployments Worldwide, representing an increase of over 62% in the past year. HSPA+ networks are being deployed in 106 countries, 39 countries more than a year ago. 187 HSPA+ systems have been commercially launched in 96 countries, confirming that over 41% of HSPA operators have introduced HSPA+ on their networks.
Safaricom has been using Huawei Modem and if that continues then expect the following details on the new modem:
- DC-HSPA+ downlink up to 42 Mbps, uplink up to 5.76 Mbps
- Quad-band Dual-Cell HSPA+ 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
- Quad-band EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- MicroSD Card Slot (up to 32 GB)
Ok, that is ideal world or text book speed, what should Kenyans expect on their modems after the launch? If you are within the so called data Belt then expect some high speed but not close to what I have described above. I will do the speed test once the modems are available in the market after the next week’s launch.
Meanwhile it is time for Safaricom to increase the speed of the unlimited internet speed from 512 Kbps to something meaningful
The speeds exist in theory
Orange already has this. Ever tested their speeds? Works well for me