Ooredoo completed Algeria’s first 4G trial with Nokia in Tlemcen, a province in the country’s north west, reaching speeds of up to 75Mb/s, ahead of a nationwide commercial launch in the coming months.

With the full launch, customers will be able to access 4G speeds for the same price as Ooredoo Algeria’s 3G service.

The trial phase was conducted using a preliminary licence from the Algeria Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications and the speed achieved is claimed to be the fastest recorded in the country.

The network upgrade will also support efforts to offer e-commerce, m- payments, m-banking, m-health and m-education services.

CEO Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al Thani (pictured) said the move demonstrates the operator’s commitment to investing in superfast networks across all its markets.

“We continue to offer our customers a better data experience, enabling them to enjoy faster downloads and clearer, buffer-free streaming, made possible by the latest network technology,” he said.

The move follows a launch in Myanmar in May 2016, where Ooredoo, the country’s third largest operator, was also the first operator to offer 4G. Coverage started in Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyitaw, and is continuing to roll-out across the country.

Ooredoo is the number three operator in Algeria, with a 30 per cent market share. Djezzy has nearly 38 per cent and Mobilis (Algerie Telecom) has 32 per cent (GSMA Intelligence figures).

In April it was reported that the economy was slowing in Algeria, with the result that Ooredoo’s revenue in the region fell by eight per cent in Q1 2016. Overall, it reported revenue of QAR7.9 billion ($2.2 billion), a two per cent decline over the year-ago period.

Ooredoo’s other 4G markets include Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Maldives and Indonesia.