MTN Almost Ready for Launch of 5G Network

Mobile services provider MTN says it is almost ready for the launch of the 5th generation (5G) network.

The company and Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei hosted Africa’s very first live 5G trial, testing the progress and power of this network technology in the real world.

MTN registered download speeds of over 5 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) at a live demonstration on Tuesday, showing how 5G technology will work in future.

MTN Group Chief Technology and Information Systems Officer Babak Fouladi says MTN is bringing innovation.

“It is important to note that the transition to 5G is not just a flick of a switch, but a road map that requires technical modifications and network architecture changes to ensure that we meet the standards that this technology requires.”

Experts say the technology will help power the rise of the Internet, provide infrastructure needed to carry bigger amounts of data, and also allow for a smarter and more connected world.

While the 5G technology is expected to be available to consumers in the year 2020 at a cost yet to be determined, network operators are expect to pay billions of rand in order to deploy this technology.