Benin Telecoms lit its LTE (4G) network in five cities in the Republic of Benin, and said the service would be available to subscribers in up to 20 cities and towns in a matter of months.
The operator, which began constructing the LTE network in the West African country in April, launched the service in the 1800 MHz frequency in Porto-Novo, Cotonou, Quidah, Abomey-Calavi and Alladah, TeleGeography reported, citing announcements on Benin Telecoms' social media outlets.
The LTE service is being sold to consumers and small to medium enterprises (SMEs), and will be launched in an additional 16 towns and cities in the coming months, TeleGeography said.
Initial access to the 4G network will be through Wi-Fi mobile routers supplied by Huawei, USB dongles, portable routers for homes and offices, and compatible smartphones. TeleGeography states that Huawei's Ascend Y550 smartphone is among the mobile devices on offer at launch.
Benin Telecoms is offering a 5 GB dongle package for XOF53,000 (€80.79/$85.59) per month, with a 10 GB dongle pack priced at XOF60,000, TeleGeography reported. The operator is also offering an unlimited dongle tariff for XOF65,000 per month, but is aiming to get subscribers to commit to longer term deals by offering the same unlimited dongle for XOF115,000 for a three-month deal.
Portable routers for home and office are available for XOR145,000 for a three month term, the news outlet added.
Benin Telecoms is including voice services in all of its LTE packages and also access to its domestic mobile IP voice application for in-country calls, TeleGeography noted.
The operator's launch of 4G services comes almost a month after local rival Globacom agreed a non-equity partnership deal with Vodafone that will see the pair offer a range of combined products and services in the Republic of Benin and Nigeria.
Stefano Gastaut, Vodafone Partner Markets CEO, said the partnership would deliver enhanced roaming access to Globacom's consumer and corporate customers "including countries where we have an ultra-fast 4G network." In return, Vodafone "will gain from Globacom's expertise and deep understanding of African markets," he said.
For more:
- see this TeleGeography report
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