Africell has made the first call on its new network in Angola, a technical milestone that marks the start of network operations at the new operator. A phased launch of services will follow, starting with data services offered to selected corporate customers in Luanda.
Africell secured Angola’s fourth unified telecommunications licence in February. To reach a state of network readiness in only ten months, technical and logistical difficulties - including pandemic-related travel restrictions and supply chain disruptions - have had to be overcome, the company said. Activating the network on schedule in Q4 is thanks to a highly motivated team, hard work, and Africell’s entrepreneurial approach to solving complex operational challenges in frontier markets, according to the group.
Following the first call, Africell engineers will monitor and optimize the performance of the network. Africell has been steadily building out infrastructure, including opening a data centre in Luanda in October, and said it has invested over USD 100 million in the country already. Suppliers for the 5G-ready network include Nokia, Oracle, and Angola Cables.
The Africell Angola team has also expanded, with over 70 percent of current Africell employees coming from Angola. The company anticipates hiring up to 2,000 direct and indirect employees by mid-2022, 95 percent of whom will be Angolan. Africell’s activities have also supported approximately 1,000 local jobs among suppliers and other third parties.
