MTN wants 5G; looks to partner with FG on 70% broadband target

MTN has stated its willingness to work with the Federal Government to achieve the 70% broadband target by 2025 while also promising to deploy a Fifth Generation (5G) network in Nigeria as soon as possible.

Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, MTN’s General Manager for Fixed Broadband, revealed this in an interview. She stated that collaboration and concerted efforts between the public and private sectors could accelerate the achievement of 70% broadband penetration.

The Federal Government, through the New National Broadband Plan 2020-2025, aims for 70% broadband penetration and 90% population coverage, with Internet speeds expected in both urban and rural areas of 25mbps and 10mbps, respectively.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 84.6 million people currently use the service, with 44.3% penetration. The telecoms regulator has also set August 24 as the country’s 5G deployment date.

MTN Group’s Strategic Ambition 2025, according to Ikenna-Emeka, is closely aligned with the Federal Government’s broadband targets. According to her, the technology provider intends to provide the appropriate level of effective digital solutions to fuel Africa’s growth.

More than a dozen African countries have tested or plan to roll out the 5G network to improve internet connectivity in their communities in the coming years. The next-generation network is expected to add $2.2 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2034.

In recognition of this, MTN stated that it is demonstrating its commitment to providing quality Internet access to Nigerians by laying the groundwork for 5G service in several parts of the country in the coming months.

“We’re very shortly going to launch the 5G technology. There is also a lot of progress we’ve made in fibre optics, which is another prevalent technology. This, along with the 3G, 4G, and 5G networks will provide us with ability to serve more market segments and more different sectors.”

In articulating MTN’s role as a driver of quality network across the country, Ikenna-Emeka added that the most prevalent technology is fixed wireless access, which is being adopted by all operators globally. And it is this that MTN wishes to scale and accelerate in its quest for broadband penetration.