Vodacom Lesotho started operating in 1996 with the Government of Lesotho as a shareholder through its stake in Lesotho Telecommunications Corporation. When the Government of Lesotho began its privatisation process in 1999, it invited bids for this share in Vodacom Lesotho. In July 2000, Sekha-Metsi Consortium, a group of local business people and public figures, was announced as the successful bidder. Sekha-Metsi holds a 20% share in Vodacom Lesotho with the remaining share held by Vodacom Group. Vodacom Group operates as a subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc.
3G Network
The company has provided 2G GSM services over the 900 MHz band since June 1996 and 3G UMTS over B1 (2100 MHz) since May 2008.
3G Frequency Bands
| Network Frequency Band | Status |
|---|---|
|
Active
|
3G Network Events
| Date | Event | Subtype |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Launch of 3G Network
|
Launch
|
4G Network
4G LTE launched in October 2014 intially over the B20 (800 MHz) band but later adding B3 (1800 MHz). The network was further enhanced with B8 (900 MHz) in regional areas.
4G Frequency Bands
| Network Frequency Band | Max. Channel Bandwidth | Status | Known EARFCNs |
|---|---|---|---|
|
20
|
Active
|
1550
|
|
|
Active
|
3578
|
||
|
15
|
Active
|
6350
|
4G Network Events
| Date | Event | Subtype |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Launch of 4G Network
|
Launch
|
5G Network
Vodacom Lesotho launched Africa's first commercial 5G service using standards-based NR in August 2018. The network uses n78 (3500 MHz) and provides data rates up to 1 Gbps in a fixed-wireless arrangement, identical to the technology recently deployed by Vodacom in South Africa.
5G Frequency Bands
| Network Frequency Band | Max. Channel Bandwidth | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
100
|
Active
|
5G Network Events
| Date | Event | Subtype |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Launch of 5G Network
|
Launch
|