MTN picks partners to expand mobile OpenRAN network in Africa
South Africa's mobile and broadband operator MTN Group has selected five partners to launch an open radio access network (OpenRAN) in Africa to expand 4G and 5G services more quickly and cheaply, it said on Wednesday.
A radio access network (RAN) connects individual devices to other parts of a network through radio connections.
MTN said it aimed to roll out OpenRAN by the end of 2021 with its partners, namely Voyage, India's Tech Mahindra and US-based firms Altiostar, Mavenir and Parallel Wireless.
In the past, network equipment from Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and other firms was largely proprietary, making it difficult to mix.
But US government restrictions that have hit Huawei's ability to source chips have sped the adoption of so-called openRAN technology, where any vendor can assemble industry-standard chips and software to create inter-operable networking gear.
"This is a real game-changer for mobile advancement in emerging markets," said Amith Maharaj, MTN group's head of network planning and design.
For mobile network operators, a radio access network makes up the bulk of capital and operating costs.
MTN said it would reduce power consumption and emissions by modernising its radio access networks using OpenRAN, supporting its target to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.
MTN, the largest telecommunications operator in Africa by subscribers, first rolled out open-source technology in 2019 to improve rural coverage. It has deployed over 1 100 commercial sites in more than 11 countries.
MTN has 277.9-million subscribers across Africa and the Middle East.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
AxFlow AQS Liquid Transfer (Pty) Ltd is an Importer and Distributor of Pumps in Southern Africa
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
