Orange Launches Mobile Services in Kenya

France Telecom has launched its Orange brand in Kenya today - replacing the Telkom Kenya, the countryÃ's historical operator, following France TelecomÃ's acquisition of 51% of its capital in December 2007.

The company has also launched its new GSM network enabling it offer landline and internet access as well as mobile services. Initially, broadband Internet and mobile offers will be available in Nairobi and Mombassa only, but this will be progressively extended and rolled out across the whole country by the end of the year. Undersea cables are planned for 2009 to boost internet access capacity.

To allow Telkom Kenya to develop its activities fully, the company says that €58 million have been invested in network infrastructures since the beginning of 2008.

Its ambition is to increase its customer base to 1.5 million customers within a year (from 500,000 customers today).

To celebrate the arrival of Orange in Kenya, a parade will take place in Orange colours on 20 September in Nairobi. Over 25,000 people are expected to participate. Starting in the morning, four convoys will converge on Uhuru Garden to the accompaniment of music.

In parallel, Telkom Kenya and Orange have announced that they are setting up a Foundation that will support local corporate philanthropy actions, in line with the activities of the Orange Foundation in 16 other African countries where the Group operates, as well as in Europe and the Middle East. These activities are centred on three areas: health, education and culture.

The country currently has two mobile operators, Safaricom and Zain - and a fourth company, Econet which has not launched services yet. Figures from the Mobile World subscriber database report that the country ended the first half of this year with just under 14.3 million subscribers - representing a population penetration level of 39%

Posted to the site on 17th September 2008