Africell's expansion into the province of Benguela, just eight months after starting operations, means that the Africell Angola network now covers a population of approximately 11 million people.
After a successful initial launch in Luanda in April 2022, which gave mobile users in the capital region "lower prices and faster connectivity than ever before", the provision of services in Benguela province extends these benefits to the second largest city in Angola, offering individuals, families and companies a new and powerful digital participation platform, says the company in a statement sent to VerAngola.
Africell products and services will be available through ten Africell branded stores in the city of Benguela and neighboring districts, in addition to dozens of kiosks, and a growing ecosystem of private distributors. As in Luanda, Africell Angola's network in the city of Benguela has 5G capacity, supported by Nokia equipment, "secure and state-of-the-art".
The expansion to Benguela is another step in Africell's long-term plan to provide secure and reliable connectivity to the entire Angolan territory, says the operator. With a population of over two million people, Benguela is the second province covered, following Huíla - Lubango, whose services will start in the second half of 2023.
"Africell's immediate positive impact in Angola proves the benefits of competition in the mobile sector" says Chris Lundh, CEO of Africell Angola. "The quick and enthusiastic acceptance of Africell services in Luanda revealed a strong demand for a more reliable, accessible and simple telecommunications operator. We are excited that mobile users in Benguela now have direct access to Africell services and look forward to transforming their digital communications experience", he said.
Africell is the only US-owned mobile network operator in sub-Saharan Africa. The US government, through the Development Finance Corporation (DFC), is the company's largest outside investor. The initial launch of Africell in Angola, in April 2022, opened a new chapter for the Angolan telecommunications sector.
Africell is welcoming new customers in Benguela province with free on-net calls (Africell to Africell) for a limited period.
