By Emma Okonji:
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc yesterday launched its commercial 5G network in Lagos, with a promise to launch the network in six other cities.The cities are Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.
The Lagos 5G commercial launch came on the heels of its 5G pilot launch three weeks ago, as mandated by the telecoms industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
During the pilot launch, MTN had promised to carry out 5G commercial launch in six cities, beginning from Lagos.Speaking during the launch in Lagos yesterday, its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Karl Toriola, said the event was in fulfillment of MTN’s earlier promise to begin 5G commercial launch in cities, within one month of 5G rollout.
The advanced 5G technology promises to extend the reach and capacity of MTN Nigeria’s data network in Nigeria and enable much faster speeds and lower latency, giving customers near-instant access to the things they care about and downloads that take seconds, instead of minutes.
According to MTN, to access the 5G network and enjoy its benefits, customers would need compatible devices, such as routers and mobile phones, which can be pre-ordered from designated MTN walk-in stores and online via the MTN Nigeria website and e-marketplace. The pre-ordered devices could be picked up or would be delivered to customers at designated location.
MTN showed its readiness to offer Nigerians the best of service with 5G technology, when it became the first telecom operator to roll out 5G technology services on its network on August 24, 2022. MTN Nigeria kicked off an open 5G pilot in the lead-up to its highly anticipated commercial launch.
The spectrum issued to MTN Nigeria as one of the two successful winners of the 5G license bid holds a promising future for technology in Nigeria, and is projected to contribute $2.2 trillion to the global economy by 2034, according to a recent GSMA Intelligence report –‘The Mobile Economy.’
The implementation of 5G was expected to accelerate the actualisation of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, as well as other sectoral policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation.
With the MTN commercial 5G launch, leveraging the largest spectrum dedicated to 5G in Africa, Nigeria will join a handful of African countries that have rolled out the 5G network.
