Earlier today Safaricom launched its expanded 4G network in Kenya which now covers the 7 cities and towns of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Meru and Kisii. This also means that 30 counties in Kenya now have access to Safaricom’s 4G network. It was also announced during today’s launch that mobile data use per customer has grown by 77% on Safaricom’s network whilst smartphone uptake has more than doubled.

Going forward, Safaricom intends to roll-out an impressive 500 (more) 4G base stations before the end of 2016 – which will mean that Safaricom will have over 4,600 3G and 4G base stations nationwide. So as to drive mobile data uptake in Kenya, Safaricom has reduced its data pricing by 36%. This means that Safaricom customers can now purchase a weekly 4G 200 MB data bundle at only Kes. 99.00 whilst monthly 4G data bundles will be priced as low as Kes. 1,499 for a 5 GB data bundle. This is actually cheaper than what its competitors are charging for comparable 3G bundles.

One of the incentives that Safaricom is offering its subscribers upgrading to 4G will be a free 4 GB bundle for them to experience the speeds it delivers. Safaricom customers can check if they have a 4G enabled SIM card by dialing *544# and selecting “Safaricom 4G Bundles and SIM Check”. Safaricom will also offer free SIM Swaps for customers switching to 4G SIM cards. In a nutshell, it looks like Safaricom is making a major run for more mobile data customers given that its still the only 4G capable mobile network in Kenya.