One Mobile is a subsidiary of Rasab, a Sierra Leone-based group with deep roots in telecom infrastructure. Rasab operates subsea backbone connectivity, over 1,300 km of fiber infrastructure across Freetown, and the city’s first IoT network through its Zoodlabs, Metro Cable, and Andi projects. So when One Mobile decided to add mobile connectivity to the mix, they already knew the market inside out.
Why the Skip Over 4G to 5G
The thinking was simple. Although many countries consider 4G as good enough for a 3G sunsetting strategy, people across this region needed reliable data for e-commerce, telemedicine, and e-governance. One Mobile skipped straight to 5G and built for where the market was headed, not where it’s been.
Africa deserves more than what it is getting today
says Susanta Shome, CTO of One Mobile.
Why the Launch Worked
One word: teamwork. One Mobile, in collaboration with Wireless Technology Labs (WTL) and PortaOne, stayed in sync from start to finish — each team knew their role and delivered on it. The 5G deployment moved step by step, on time.
“That was an amazing feeling,” says Satya. “We were ecstatic.”
“PortaOne is intuitive. It has been there for a long time. So users can learn it very fast by using it. And it comes with no license restrictions, which is a very good thing for upcoming operators,” says Satya Mekala, CEO of WTL.
And between WTL and PortaOne, there is the integration. It is integrated well and it works straight away once out-of-the-box kind of a thing. And we have experience together in multiple projects.
What You Can Take From This Project
Whether you’re planning a 5G rollout in Africa, Latin America, or anywhere you’re starting from scratch — here’s what this story can teach you:
- Speed to market is a choice, not a happy accident. One Mobile planned for a fast launch from day one.
- Your technology stack either moves you forward or holds you back. PortaOne and WTL’s cloud-enabled setup made the whole deployment faster and smoother.
- Pick partners who solve problems, not ones who send you a bill first. PortaOne and WTL’s collaboration is what made hitting the deadline possible.
- Customer experience matters everywhere. Small touches like easy top-ups matter.
- Know the field before you go. Although fibre infrastructure was already in place, One Mobile thought ahead about tower access and solar power.
- Give people something they’ve never had before – mobile data at gigabit speeds – at a price people can actually afford. One Mobile didn’t just build a 5G network. They built one where a student, a small business owner, or a working professional can get unlimited data for a week for a reasonable price. In a market where that kind of offer was almost unthinkable, that’s what real differentiation looks like.
Watch the Full Podcast
Want to go deeper? Listen to Susanta Shome (CTO, One Mobile) and Satya Mekala (CEO, WTL) talk through everything — from the early planning stages to launch day.
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