By Sallieu S.Kanu
Freetown, June 4, 2025 – In a groundbreaking move for digital connectivity in the region, K3 Telecom has officially rebranded as One Broadband and unveiled West Africa’s first standalone 5G mobile service provider, One Mobile.
The launch positions Sierra Leone at the forefront of regional digital transformation, marking a historic milestone in the nation’s technological advancement.
Revolutionizing Connectivity Across Sierra Leone
One Mobile’s integrated fixed-mobile network promises ultra-low latency and unparalleled speeds, with ambitions to achieve nationwide coverage bridging urban and rural divides.
The service is expected to transform key sectors such as healthcare, education, and commerce by accelerating innovation and providing reliable high-speed connectivity.
This rollout reaffirms Sierra Leone’s leadership in cutting-edge infrastructure and aligns with national objectives to foster equitable growth through technology.
Officials have hailed the development as a crucial step toward integrating Sierra Leone into the global digital economy, ensuring seamless connectivity for businesses and individuals alike.
The arrival of One Mobile cements Sierra Leone’s reputation as a 5G pioneer, setting a precedent for other nations in the region.
The Chief Executive Officer of Rasab Group, Davar Fazaeli reflected on Sierra Leone’s journey from an unstable digital infrastructure to becoming West Africa’s first open-access, 5G Stand-Alone network provider.
Speaking at a summit, the CEO recalled the state of the nation’s digital connectivity four-and-a-half years ago, describing the submarine-cable landing station as fragile, with limited capacity and frequent outages. He noted that after taking control of the landing station, his team undertook major upgrades, pushing international capacity to half a terabit and ensuring redundancy, allowing Sierra Leone to remain unaffected by faults in Ghana or Ivory Coast.
The CEO emphasized that despite improvements at the coast, inland connectivity had been lacking. To bridge the gap, Rasab Group developed a 2,000-kilometer open-access fiber network. He shared a personal experience, noting that in 2018, the cost of a fiber connection was prohibitively high, but today, Sierra Leoneans can access high-speed internet at a fraction of the previous cost, making digital opportunities more accessible.
Furthering innovation, Rasab Group worked to unify mobile-money wallets, integrating banks, cards, and digital payment systems to facilitate seamless transactions. The CEO highlighted the importance of this platform, explaining that it allows citizens—from farmers in Kono to students in Freetown—to receive payments efficiently.
With great pride, the CEO announced Sierra Leone’s new status as a 5G pioneer, enabled by Nokia technology and powered by renewable energy through Cross-Boundary. He stated that new towers, co-location partnerships, and strategic rooftop placements have made the network accessible to all operators, fostering competition, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
He expressed gratitude to the government for its vision and support in shaping Sierra Leone’s digital future, acknowledging that such advancements would not have been possible without regulatory backing and investor confidence.
In his closing remarks, the CEO declared that Sierra Leone’s digital infrastructure now rivals that of major global cities, encouraging citizens to embrace, innovate, and build upon the country’s technological progress. He urged the next generation to leverage the opportunities presented by 5G and thanked Sierra Leoneans for their trust and engagement in the journey toward digital excellence.