MTN Partners Ericsson On 5G Rollout

MTN Nigeria has partnered with Ericsson Radio System for the roll-out of its recently launched 5G Network in the country.

The partnership with Ericsson will provide advanced Mobile broadband and fixed wireless access services, which shall unlock a range of new opportunities in the Enterprise domain.

This is as the company’s CEO, Karl Toriola, assured the expansion of the 5G network across Nigeria.

He made this known on Sunday in Lagos, when the firm gathered the industry together to experience what is to come with the 5G technology in the country.

Karl said the strength with which MTN expanded 2G, 3G and 4G would be combined to expand 5G coverage across the country in the major population centres in the coming months

While appreciating the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, for what he described as his decisiveness and courage in overseeing the advancement of 5G in Nigeria, the MTN boss said the major investment is going to come between now and the end of the year on the technology.

According to a statement, the new 5G services can bring about unique sustainable development initiatives for agriculture, energy, financial inclusion, and security, among others, overcoming past institutional challenges and barriers to growth.

Chief Technical Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mohammed Rufai, said: “5G will revolutionize the way we live and communicate across industries. With the speed 5G offers, we will be able to experience the Internet with low latency, which means no lag, making our virtual interactions more real. At MTN, we will continue to pursue the rollout of 5G technology to revolutionize Internet access across the continent.”

On his part, Vice President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, Hossam Kandeel, said 5G is not just about speed. He said 5G helps people do more with their devices, unlocking a whole new world of possibilities for society. 5G connectivity is likely to pave the way for life-altering advancements and we are proud to be a part of Nigeria’s 5G digital transformations that have only just begun. With connectivity being the backbone of digitisation, we are committed to delivering the best service to our partners at MTN Nigeria to support them in this thrilling journey.”
In a related development, after four months of intensive training at the School of Media and Communications (SMC) and Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), the MTN Media Innovation Programme (MIP) Fellows have arrived in South Africa for a study trip as part of the six-month certificate course.

During the trip, they will study at the University of Witwatersrand where they will engage in interactive sessions on creativity and innovation, explore opportunities in the media business and provide solutions to some of the challenges to successfully running media businesses in Africa. They will also gain insights into the role of the media in promoting Pan-Africanism, thus strengthening the bond between Nigeria and South Africa.

The Fellows will also visit and tour MTN Group’s Head Office in Sandton, explore the Y’ello Innovation Centre and pay a visit to the South African High Commission. They will also explore the city of Johannesburg, visiting monumental locations and engaging in exciting experiences.

The Fellows are Chima Akwaja of Leadership Newspaper; Peter Oluka of Techeconomy; Adeyemi Adepetun of Guardian Newspaper; Wasilat Azeez of The Cable Newspaper; Uhuotu Omilabu of Inspiration FM; Damilola Fajinmi of Megalectrics; Sakina Ahmed of Fombina FM; Abidemi Dairo of Channels Television.

There is also Mike Okwoche of TVC News; Vanessa Obioha of Thisday Newspaper; Temitayo Jaiyeola of Punch Newspaper; Elsie Godwin, a digital content creator; Agbonkhese Oboh of Vanguard Newspaper; Nahimah Ajikanle-Nurudeen of AP News; Ejekwonyilo Ameh of Premium Times; Daniel Adeyemi of TechCabal; Samson Akintaro of Nairametrics; Razaq Ayinla of Businessday; Esther Ndu of Arise News, and Ugo Onwuaso of Nigeria Communications Week.

The MTN-MIP is a fellowship for journalists (media practitioners across the entire spectrum, including social media), and it is designed to help them build capacity at both professional and business levels.

At the end of the programme, there will be a graduation ceremony, where the most outstanding participant will be awarded a grant to participate in and cover some of MTN Nigeria’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.