International telecom giant, Nokia
has announced that it has been selected by MTN South Africa (MTN SA) for the first
time ever as one of its 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) equipped providers.
According to Nokia in a statement issued
on Monday, it noted that under the deal, its will modernize the existing
2G.3G/4G radio network and expand MTN’s 5G radio network across 2800 sites in the Central and
Eastern part of the country-driving digitalization across the African
continent.
Explaining further, the statement
noted that Nokia will provide equipment from its next-generation,
energy-efficient AirScale portfolio – powered by its latest generation of
REEFShark chipsets including 5G AirScale baseband, massive MIMO active antennas
and remote radion heads (RRH) covering all urban and rural scenarios.
“Nokia will also provide its
Self-Organising Networks (SON) solution for optimization and network assurance,
ensuring MTN’s network continues to perform optimally. Nokia solutions will
enable a superior 5G experience for mobile users with high bandwidth,
ultra-fast speeds, and low latency,” its said.
As part of its commitment to South
Africa, Nokia is also establishing a training program to drive digitalization
in the country and across the African continent. Open to 5,000 applicants, the
program will focus on product development as well as developing
entrepreneurship. The program is aligned with the Finnish National Agency of
Education and graduates will receive a diploma supporting further career opportunities,”
the statement disclosed.
The MTN South Africa’s Chief Technology
and Information Officer, Michele Gamberini in his remarked that “We need
next-generation technologies, such as Nokia’s AirScale portfolio to
“ We need next-generation
technologies, such as Nokia AirScale portfolio to ensure South Africa is a leader
in the digital era across the African continent and globally. Our partnership
with Nokia allows us to rapidly expand our 5G network so that our citizens and
their businesses can leverage the digital economy and reap the benefits of
modern connected life.”
On his part, Tommi Uitto the President
of Mobile Network at Nokia also said that “This significant contract with MTN
strengthens our market position in South Africa and helps MTN deliver superior
5G experience to its subscribers. Our industry-leading energy-efficient
AirScale portfolio will improve the coverage and capacity of MTN’s network
performance while contribution to reduce carbon emissions. We look forward to a
long-lasting and successful partnership with MTN.”
MTN SA is part of MTN Group Limited,
Africa’s largest mobile network operator with operations in 17 countries
serving 272 million subscribers.
