MTN Launches 5G In SA Despite Struggles To Get Ahead In Nigeria

MTN has launched 5G network in South Africa, making it the first country of MTN's markets to roll out the new generation technology. The launch places South Africa ahead of Nigeria - MTN's largest market - where 5G talks have been trailed by the controversy of coronavirus and antichrist agenda.

According to MTN, the 5G network will now enable South Africans benefit from the capabilities of next-generation services, which reflects an advancement in technology activities. AllNews gathered from an MTN statement that the services that will be provided with the 5G network include augmented reality, ultra-high-definition video streaming  and internet of things (IoT).

While the coverage will not be all of South Africa, the 5G will cover areas of Johannesburg and Cape Town, as well as Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth. The 5G was launched with 100 sites, "Today, from MTN’s birthplace of South Africa, we are stepping up our digital revolution with the next generation of telecommunication technology, demonstrating to all South Africans that 5G is no longer just an idea – it is here, it works and it has the capacity to bring about exponential improvements to our economy, and to the lives of the people we serve,” says MTN SA’s CEO, Godfrey Motsa.

According to the network provider, the launch was made possible due to the allocation of the temporary spectrum from the South African government, which led to "culmination of extensive 5G trials and testing, "For the past two years we have been actively innovating around the potential of 5G, using different bands and various vendors and across different platforms and devices, to ensure MTN South Africa can maintain leadership in 5G, as we have been able to maintain our leadership in 4G.

“Our 5G strategy has been years in the making and we are confident that we have built a strong foundation to grow and support our 5G ecosystem to deliver an exceptional experience for our customers,” MTN SA Chief Technology and Information Officer, Giovanni Chiarelli, said.

5G Launch Facing Challenges In Nigeria

The story is different in Nigeria, with protests against the 5G by politicians and religious leaders - which led to the National Assembly informing the government to delay the launch. The Senate also stated that it will probe the activities around the 5G in Nigeria.

The investigation into the next generation of network commenced after several claims that MTN Nigeria and other telecommunication companies had began to deploy 5G and it’s one of the reasons for coronavirus outbreak. Aside from probing the status of the 5G network in the country, the committee will also focus on the impact of the 5G technology on Nigerians.

Will the Senate Discover Lies?

Recall that controversy had trailed the 5G network after former lawmaker, Dino Melaye and Christ Embassy Pastor, Chris Oyakhilome, criticized the technology. While the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, denied that it had issued 5G network license, MTN Nigeria had launched a 5G-demo last year.

Pantami said, “The National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), of which I am the Chairman, has not deliberated on or released any bulk frequency spectrum for the deployment of 5G. No license has been issued for the deployment of 5G in the country.”

But in November 2019, MTN Nigeria launched its 5G-demo network in partnership with Huawei in Abuja, with Pantami present at the launch. Also, MTN Nigeria in a statement had disclosed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) gave it a spectrum for trial in November 2019. The network provider said it will commercially deploy 5G technology in Nigeria before 2020.