MTN South Africa says it’s targeting at least 25% of the country’s population to have 5G coverage by the end of 2022.
It is among the mobile telephony groups that used the temporary spectrum granted to mobile operators to deploy 5G services in SA’s cities, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With over 1 000 active 5G sites across the country currently, the company reveals it plans to ramp up its rollout.
“We want to have 5G connectivity across almost every part of SA,” says Charles Molapisi, MTN SA CEO.
“Our aim is to bring the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution to more people in an efficient and cost-effective way. This means expanding our 5G coverage every day, with a strong focus on investment into main metros, peri-urban areas and larger townships initially.”
Data from ICASA’s 2022 State of the ICT Sector Report showed SA’s 5G population coverage grew from 0.7% in 2020, to 7.5% in 2021, indicating an uptick in the emerging technology in the country.
Last year’s Ericsson Mobility Report revealed 5G subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa will represent around 10% of all mobile subscriptions by 2027, with SA expected to lead the adoption rate in the region.
MTN SA indicates the recent spectrum auction accelerated the adoption of 5G and new applications in, among others, the internet of things, cloud and augmented reality.
According to the company, it already has 555 5G sites in Gauteng, which will increase to 575 when Rustenburg and Brits areas in the North West come online, with the expansion set to continue.
The total 5G coverage is set to reach 179 sites in the Western Cape by the end of the year, while more 5G sites are planned for Bloemfontein.
Investment in the Free State and Northern Cape will be ramped up, with MTN SA adding 21 additional 5G sites across both provinces.
In Limpopo, the extension of MTN’s 5G connectivity includes rolling out 58 new sites in 2022 to add to the existing 53. Currently, the province has over 100 live 5G sites and more are planned for 2022.
The extension of MTN’s 5G connectivity is also planned for KwaZulu-Natal. Currently, the province has over 100 live 5G sites and more are planned for 2022.
In addition, MTN SA says it’s rolling out 5G experiential zones in major shopping centres to showcase the capabilities of the next-generation tech.
“Our investment will continue to drive the rollout of 5G as we want to bring the benefits of the modern, connected world to all. For us, every South African should be able [to] ‘5G’ their lives, homes, offices, and every aspect of their on-the-go lifestyles. Our intention is to keep increasing network coverage, improved throughputs and customer experience.
“We are moving fast to ensure our users are at the forefront of innovation and change. Thanks to its greater bandwidth and higher download speeds, 5G is a game-changer and will continue to shake up the world of technology. MTN intends to ensure our customers experience the very best of 5G tech every step of the way,” concludes Molapisi.
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