Unitel Angola signs three-year Huawei RAN deal

Angolan mobile phone company Unitel has signed a new three-year framework agreement with its Chinese vendor partner, Huawei.

The partnership consists of a radio access network (RAN), transmission network and other aspects, such as customer experience management (CEM) and residential solutions, Unitel said in a statement.

Through the partnership, Unitel will introduce increased network capacity and coverage and 5G innovation to enhance the user experience while ushering in a new era of green, low-carbon telecommunications, the statement added.

"Unitel is committed to accelerating the digitisation of industry with leading ICT providers to illuminate Angola’s industrial and development," said Miguel Geraldes, Unitel's general manager, in a statement.

Huawei Angola CEO Chu Xiaoxin added: "Since entering the Angolan market in 2002, Huawei has been committed to bringing cutting-edge technologies and advanced solutions to Angolan society. "

Opportune time for investment

Through this partnership, Huawei will increase local investments, following the path of future collaboration to accelerate digital transformation in Angolan society, facilitate sustainable network evolution and unlock new connectivity values, the statement continued.

With a population of over 30 million and one of the largest economies in the region, Angola is an attractive investment option. However, compared to its peers, Angola's telecommunications sector has historically seen limited competition and investment.

According to statistics from market researcher Omdia, a sister company of Connecting Africa, Unitel is one of the biggest mobile operators on the continent with about 12.2 million mobile subscribers at the end of 2021, while Movicel had about 2.7 million.

*Top image is of Angolan flag (Source: Africa continent photo created by Allexxandar - www.freepik.com).

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa