CA plans rollout of cell towers in 12 counties to boost coverage
A telecommunications tower. The Communications Authority of Kenya has moved to purchase equipment for the rollout of cellular network coverage in 12 counties that are unserved or underserved with mobile network infrastructure.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has moved to purchase equipment for the rollout of cellular network coverage in 12 counties that are unserved or underserved with mobile network infrastructure.
The authority has called for bids for firms to undertake construction of communication towers that host Base Transceiver Station (BTS) equipment and establishment of backhaul transmission links to operators’ Base Station Controllers (BSCs) and the core networks to be built within 24 months.
The move aims to boost mobile network coverage in the areas where residents have to walk long distances to get network coverage to use their phones, browse the internet and access mobile money services.
“The scope of the project is 67 sub-locations in 12 different counties which have been identified as potential candidates for Phase 3 Cellular Mobile Infrastructure Development project,” said CA in a tender call.
“The project is based on the tower co model that separates telecommunications mobile passive infrastructure and telecommunications mobile active infrastructure.”
The stations will be built in Garissa, Kitui, Mandera, Marsabit, Isiolo and Samburu. Other counties include Narok, Lamu, Turkana, Taita Taveta, Wajir and West Pokot.
Robust growth
This comes as Kenya’s telecoms sector has experienced robust growth as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that pushed consumers to adopt online ways of conducting business and mobile money payments as safer modes of accessing and paying for goods and services.
Other key drivers include increased demand for video calls, social networking, gaming and video on demand.
The government targets to reach 101 sub locations that have inadequate or no cellular network access across 19 counties by the end of this month in Phase II of the project to a tune of Sh1.1 billion.
The phase saw 14 sub locations in West Pokot connected to mobile network in April this year including schools to support the rollout of the new competency-based curriculum (CBC).
