Uganda. Airtel Uganda has launched the fifth-generation (5G) mobile network at the offices of Monitor Publications Limited (MPL), a Nation Media Group (NMG) company.

This comes a week after the company launched the 5G network in the country.

While launching the network at the MPL offices on 8th Street, Industrial Area in Namuwongo, Kampala, yesterday, the Airtel Uganda Managing Director, Mr Manoj Murali, said the wireless technology, which offers high network capacity and higher upload and download speed, will ease operations at the media company.

“We have launched the 5G network, we are doing a series of hyper local launches with our top customers and our partners and also show gratitude to them,” Mr Murali said.

He added: “We pride ourselves in bringing the latest and best technologies to Uganda. Sometime back, we launched our E-sim technology, if you have E-Sim, you can store up to 10 Sim cards on your phone and you can switch on two at any point of time depending on your location, you can also decide which Sim cards you want to use.”

Mr Murali said Airtel has since 2017 been the pioneer of the latest technology in Uganda. He said by 2019, there was 4G network across Uganda.

“5G is now available at 50 sites across Uganda, including Namuwongo at Monitor Publications. We are seeing spectacular speed at least 20 to 30 more times than what we were getting on the 4G side,” he said.

“5G has started with iPhone users, they can switch on 5G now, for those using Samsung, 5G will be available in the first week of October, that is when the software will be upgraded and that is when Techno and other phone types that are 5G can operate on our 5G network,” he added.

Mr Murali explained that when you acquire 5G, there is no need to change a Sim cardupgrade to the network, saying it will work perfectly with the existing card.

“There is also no need to change data packs, whatever data packs you have been purchasing, and their diagnostic of technology works on 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G,” he said.

Mr Tony Glencross, the managing director of NMG-U, welcome the launch of 5G network at the company offices.

“It is good to be a part of these innovations and I am willing to experience the 5G network… thank you for being our partners in many areas, not just in media but also we are tenants, we operate in your building and we share premises,” Mr Glencross said.

In February, Airtel Uganda conducted tests on 11 4G sites in Kampala after applying for a spectrum to Uganda Communications Commission to start deploying the 5G network across the country.