Sierra Leone Launches First Renewable-Powered 5G Network

8 June 2025
Daba Finance (Abidjan)

TLDR

  • Sierra Leone will deploy its first 5G network powered by renewable energy, marking a significant step in both its digital and energy transitions
  • The initiative involves powering 5G towers with solar PV, battery storage, and backup generators to ensure high reliability
  • CrossBoundary is financing the initial five towers to accelerate the rollout, starting in Freetown and expanding nationwide

Sierra Leone will deploy its first 5G network powered by renewable energy, marking a significant step in both its digital and energy transitions. The project, led by local telecom firm Zoodlabs and African energy provider CrossBoundary Energy, was announced at the Digital Government Summit in Freetown.

The initiative involves powering 5G towers with solar PV, battery storage, and backup generators to ensure high reliability while reducing fossil fuel use. CrossBoundary is financing the initial five towers to accelerate the rollout, starting in Freetown and expanding nationwide.

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The 5G network promises faster speeds, lower latency, and support for applications like smart cities, remote health services, and IoT. With broadband penetration at just 20.7%, the project is expected to significantly expand access across Sierra Leone.

Zoodlabs CEO David Kapkima highlighted the role of 5G in powering various sectors and emphasized the importance of renewable energy in building resilient infrastructure.

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Key Takeaways

Sierra Leone's move to integrate renewable energy with 5G deployment signals a new model for digital infrastructure in emerging markets. By addressing energy access and connectivity in tandem, the project tackles two major development challenges at once. Africa's 5G adoption is in early stages--only 1.4% of mobile users were on 5G as of 2024. That figure is expected to rise to 25% continent-wide by 2029, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 180 million 5G subscriptions. South Africa leads in deployment, but countries like Nigeria and Kenya are accelerating rollouts. High infrastructure costs and energy insecurity often slow progress. Sierra Leone's model--using solar to power critical telecom infrastructure--offers a pathway to overcome these constraints. It also aligns with global calls for climate-resilient development, showing that 5G and green energy can advance together.

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