MTN kicks off 5G in Nigeria  

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc kicked off an open 5G pilot today as it plans to roll out 5G services in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri soon.

Following earlier spectrum allocation by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications Limited, the Commission had said 5G licensees should begin rollout commencement on the 24th of August.

As MTN rolls out, Mafab is now the only other telecommunication firm with a 5G licence, missing the rollout date, after the NCC gave it a five-month extension.

The NCC granted the extension because of the delays in issuing the telco a Unified Access Service Licence and Numbering plan.

Chairman, Mafab, Musbahu Bashir, said, “I have no doubt that the service will help deliver improvements in the fields of education, business, smart cities and entertainment. The goal remains to launch before the 5-month extension period, and we will be sharing more information in the near future.”

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc kicked off an open 5G pilot today as it plans to roll out 5G services in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri soon.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, 5G licensees are supposed to begin rollout commencement on the 24th of August. Mafab Communications Limited, the only other telecommunication firm with a 5G licence, has since announced that it will miss out on the commission’s target.

This is because the NCC granted it a five-month extension to roll out 5G services because of the delays in issuing the telco a Unified Access Service Licence and Numbering plan.

Chairman, Mafab, Musbahu Bashir, said, “I have no doubt that the service will help deliver improvements in the fields of education, business, smart cities and entertainment. The goal remains to launch before the 5-month extension period, and we will be sharing more information in the near future.”

According to MTN, it is testing the new-generation network infrastructure in anticipation of its launch and customers with certain enabled devices will be allowed to connect with and try out the new service where coverage is available.

Speaking on the pilot test, the Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, said, “Every major technological evolution redefines what is possible – changing the way we live and the way we connect.

“MTN Nigeria has been at the forefront of every leap in telecommunications: from GSM to 2G, 3G, and 4G. 5G has the potential to change everything.”

It will allow us to connect, create, collaborate, and compete in ways we’ve not even begun to imagine.