Airtel Malawi has this week launched its 5G mobile network.

Airtel is the second telco in Malawi to launch the service, following rival carrier Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) pushing its 5G service live four months ago.

As reported by Malawi24 via its social media pages, the telco has deployed 5G at 56 sites across 10 districts.

The carrier also launched VoLTE services nationwide for its 4G network as part of network upgrades.

It's not known which network vendor supported the launch or whether the 5G network is Standalone or Non-Standalone.

Airtel Malawi is a subsidiary of Indian telco Airtel. The telco serves more than eight million mobile customers in the country.

"The new VoLTE service, now available across all Airtel sites, promises clearer voice calls, faster call connections, and the ability to browse the internet while on a call for compatible devices," said the company, which noted that 5G has the potential to tap into use cases such as telemedicine, agriculture, and enabling smart cities.

Rival telco TNM previously carried out a 5G pilot in 2023.