Safaricom Launches World's First 400G Network

Safaricom has unveiled an end to end 400G network.

This makes Safaricom the first company in the world to commercially deploy the solution.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers approved the 400G standard in December 2017, clearing the way for its deployment by network equipment suppliers and operators

The 400G link will enable the Kenyan mobile service provider to boost the demand for quality videos and increase video consumption among internet users.

“The 400G solution will support the continued growth of our network which is being driven by an explosion in internet usage. Mobile data usage on our network has been doubling year-on-year while our fiber network now reaches more than 220,000 homes and 17,000 businesses across more than 10 towns. It was therefore prudent to invest in the latest network technology to ensure that we can support the demand from our customers for years to come,” Safaricom’s Chief Technology Officer Thibaud Rerolle says.

The new link has been installed by Huawei and will also help increase Safaricom's capacity to carry internet traffic over 500 kilometers. 

The link will achieve a speed of up to 400 Gigabits per second, an upgrade from the current connection which offers speeds of up to 100 Gbps.

Safaricom and Huawei announced the launch of the solution at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

The network will be rolled out in two phases with Nairobi and Mombasa being the first to be connected.

Safaricom provides voice, data and financial services to more than 29.5 million subscribers in Kenya.