The launch of Sierra Leone’s first 5G mobile network that is powered exclusively by renewable energy represents an important milestone in the energy and digital transformation of Sierra Leone by Zoodlabs and CrossBoundary Energy. This project was unveiled at the Freetown Digital Government Summit putting Sierra Leone at the forefront of sustainable tech infrastructure in West Africa.
The system is already functioning in the capital city, through a solar photovoltaic (PV), battery storage hybrid and backup generators, with a 99.9% uptime while greatly reducing fossil fuel use. The nation has only 20.7% broadband penetration, so this is also a project focused on expanding digital inclusion through gaps in connectivity and cleaner energy.
The rollout of 5G is expected to provide faster speeds, lower latency and more device connectivity which will lead to new innovations including telemedicine, smart cities and IoT-based businesses. Sierra Leone has been able to manage the challenges of legacy technologies by ditching the previous cable technology for a modern clean tech based future.
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CrossBoundary Energy, an African energy services firm is not only powering the project’s first phase, it is financing five of the Phase One towers to expedite deployment. “Our mission is to provide reliable renewable generation that reduces diesel reliance and sustains uptime,” said Oliver Benham, the Director of Operations at CrossBoundary.
David Kapkima, the chief executive officer of Zoodlabs, stressed the bigger picture: “5G is not just speed, it is the foundation to future advancements. This partnership means we start out building these structures sustainably from day one.”
Zoodlabs is initially rolling out the platform in Freetown but plans to expand coverage nationally, bringing digital access and environmental sustainability to the center of the agenda for Sierra Leone’s development.
