Telkom Kenya launched 4G and their data rates are the cheapest or so i believe. So swapped my SIM card for a 4G one, and found the service acceptable. Shopped around for an unlocked modem but couldn’t get any locally at fair prices.
Proceeded to Aliexpress and shopped for one, there were so many confusing choices, good thing, i had done my homework on carrier frequencies in Kenya. Telkom Kenya uses 800Mhz (Band 20) while Safaricom is on 1800Mhz and 900 Mhz . All Operators in Kenya use LTE FDD. For those who want to future proof their gadgets, you can get a gadget that supports 700Mhz (JTL were awarded a licence). The modem doesn’t support 700Mhz.
I finally settled on Huawei E5573CS -322 in the link below. This is the same modem that Telkom Kenya sells but it is locked to their network. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Unlocked-Huawei-E5573-E5573s-320-CAT4-150Mbps-4G-LTE-FDD-Wireless-Router-3G-Mobile-WiFi/32793983508.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.L2cFZz
Well, i paid for it on 24th June and received it today. It cost me $52.89 dollars. I was lucky because Njiraini didn’t shine his eyes on me.
The modem is unlocked and i’ve tested it using Safaricom and Telkom SIMS. It can be manged by an app called Huawei Hilink. I’ve used both the versions on iOS and Android to manage the modem. Also, the modem has a WIfi Extender option in that it uses available WIFI network instead of mobile data.
Telkom Kenya sells the locked version of the modem at 5,999/= .
Below are some photos taken using my pinhole camera.
[ATTACH=full]112765[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]112767[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]112769[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]112766[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]112770[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]112771[/ATTACH]
This is the modem management interface on PC. Note that the modem is branded MTN but the firmware is universal and not carrier specific.
http://telkom.co.ke/mobile/internet/data-bundles
Telkom 4G is limited to few towns unlike Safaricom that’s covering a good part of the country.
1,499/= shilling gets you 5GB on Safaricom and 6GB on Telkom. Another comparison, 2,000/= gets you 7.5GB on Safaricom and 10GB on Telkom Kenya. All are valid for 30 days.
Currently accessing internet via Zuku so not used it extensively. I’ll use it tomorrow when out of the house and revert on battery life. I don’t expect much from a 1,500mAH rated battery.
If you want really cheap data for telkom checkout their homeplan packages. 5gb 1000/= , 10GB for 1500/= , 20gb for 2000 ,35gb for 2500 and finally unlimited for 4k http://www.telkom.co.ke/home-plans
The problem with that router is lack of cabled Ethernet connections. This makes sure you have a sort of future proof router that you can use when Safaricom Home or Zuku Decide its time to drop their fiber links in your area. TP- LINK MR3420 + 4G Modem looks like a better option for me.
Their LTE CPE B310 router that costs 9900 has one ethernet port. Its coverage is also 250 metres according to the specifications in the box. I bought it last week and it’s really nice.