THE roll of the fifth-generation (5G) technology by leading telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos, with a promise to launch the network in six other cities including Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri has elicited joy among Nigerians, especially users of the Internet.
With the development, Nigeria has become the third African country to deploy the technology after South Africa and Kenya. The Lagos commercial launch came on the heels of its telco giant’s pilot launch of the technology three weeks ago, as mandated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
MTN in its half-year 2022 report, revealed that it had deployed 127 sites for the technology in preparation for its launch. The 5G technology is expected to be rolled out in phases, with full national coverage expected by 2025.
The advanced standard technology for broadband cellular networks is poised to extend the reach and capacity of MTN Nigeria’s data network 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.
Speaking at the launch, MTN Nigeria chief executive officer, Karl Toriola, said: “Every major technological evolution changes the way we live, the way we connect; changes what is possible. GSM took phone calls on the road, 2G added texting to our experience (and created a whole new language), 3G brought the internet to our phones, and 4G made video widely available on mobiles.
“5G will change everything. It will allow us to connect, create, collaborate, and compete in ways we cannot imagine yet. Today we will show you a glimpse of the many possibilities 5G has in store. What is most important is what you and every Nigerian can create with it.”
On his part, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, stated that “Today, we are celebrating the outcome of the successful auction of the 5G spectrum, we are celebrating the commercial launch of 5G services in the country. This puts the country on the global 5G space and from today many of you will experience the super speed associated with 5G.”
Recall that two telecommunications companies, MTN and Mafab Communications won the 3.5GHz 5G spectrum licence at an auction conducted in December 2021, by the NCC.
The spectrum issued to Y’ello brand 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.
Part of the conditions of the licence requires that the operators roll out the service in August this year. While MTN has commenced its pilot testing, Mafab, on the other hand, has been given a five-month extension to meet the rollout obligation by the NCC.
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