MTN announced that it is building private 5G networks for about 14 companies in the mining and port industries in South Africa. These networks will offer dedicated capacity and guaranteed coverage for the firms’ operations.
MTN South Africa CEO Charles Molapisi said private networks is an “exciting” area for them. ” We are far ahead of many in terms of private 5G networks, and we see this as a huge growth area,” he added.
Asides from providing data and voice services, MTN claims the networks will improve security, internet speed and provide uninterrupted connectivity for client companies. It will also offer clients cloud computing, unified communication through integrated communication services, cybersecurity, and machine-to-machine communications.
Consequently, MTN will compete with Liquid Telecoms in the business 5G network space. Deon Geyser, the company’s CEO, said they would use their spectrum acquired in the March ICASA spectrum auction to build a 5G network that enables automation in manufacturing and mining.
MTN is also opening its network systems to mobile virtual network operators. One of the spectrum license conditions by ICASA is that network operators must have at least three MVNOs on their network.
On the other hand, MTN’s public 5G network in South Africa has also seen remarkable growth since it was first introduced in June 2020. According to their latest financial reports, MTN added 443 5G sites across South Africa by the end of June 2022, bringing its total footprint to 1,391 locations.
With that rollout, it covered 20% of the country’s population, a substantial milestone considering its aim to have 25% of people within MTN 5G coverage by the end of 2022.
Seeing as MTN is a South African multinational mobile telecommunications company, its focus, and growth in SA is understood. However, how is MTN 5G pilot test going in Nigeria? When will iPhone and Samsung users finally be able to access MTN’s 5G network with their sim cards directly?
These and many more questions about the dynamics around how pricing will affect adoption are the key points of observation over the next few months.
Join the conversation; follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at GoSpeedHub.
Image Source – MTN
