Kenya’s mobile service provider Safaricom will double its broadband capacity next week, opening a new battlefront in the data market just after Airtel rolled out its 3G network in February.

“The network will run at 42 Mega bits per second (mbps) from the current 21mbs and it will be the fastest network in the whole of East and Central Africa,” Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said.

“We are already receiving the modems to support the new network,” Collymore said. However, the rollout will begin from Nairobi and its environs before going national. Collymore was speaking at the connected Kenya Summit 2012 in Mombasa that began on Tuesday.

The summit is in its fourth year and is the brainchild of the Kenya ICT Board in collaboration with industry players and government.

The four day conference will see players discuss how to build the knowledge economy, how to take advantage of the open data, linking innovation and trade.

Players will also discuss how to involve citizens in the growth of the sector, and the opportunities in e-commerce and retail trade.
Information and communication permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo is expected to present the National ICT Masterplan 2017, which outlines the government’s blue print for ICT on Thursday.