Kenya’s newest mobile network, Essar Telecom, which trades as “Yu” says that it has achieved its goal of nationwide coverage for its mobile network. The company has deployed some 500 base stations, with 220 of them being activated over the past four weeks.
In July, Essar Telecom secured USD93.75 million in funding from the Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund (PAIDF), Africa’s largest infrastructure private equity fund.
Essar Telecom’s CEO Srinivasa Iyengar said “This brings the Yu network’s active sites tally to more than 500 with a further 250 sites undergoing construction ahead of their network integration in the coming month,” adding that “this makes Yu the fastest expanding network in Africa and probably the only operator to achieve nationwide coverage within the first year of operation,”
Essar Telecom Kenya’s Chief Commercial Officer Kunal Ramteke disclosed that the Yu network is experiencing a steady subscriber growth. “We are happy to report that the Yu network is experiencing very positive steady subscriber growth which is as per our market growth forecast”, Kunal Ramteke said.
CEO Srinivasa Iyengar also expressed confidence that the firm’s target of two million subscribers by March next year is likely to be achieved much earlier.
Kenya’s telecommunications industry regulator recently announced that it will make a second attempt at launching mobile number portability – which traditionally benefits new entrants into markets.
Source(s): Cellular News
