Telecommunications group MTN has undertaken a proof of concept for a first-of-its-kind fifth-generation (5G) Stand Alone Core fully deployed in Microsoft Azure.

The group now aims to use the proof of concept as a stepping stone to drive further innovation in the cloud domain as part of its PACE technology strategy and drive industry-leading connectivity operations through technology platforms.

“Being one of the first in the world to conduct this proof of concept demonstrates MTN’s desire to keep pushing the boundaries of technological innovation that delivers value to our shareholders,” says MTN Group chief technology officer Amith Maharaj.

MTN, working with Microsoft to accelerate digital and cloud transformation to help drive Africa’s growth, conducted the proof of concept with all of the 5G Stand Alone Core elements, including control plane, user plane and management nodes, deployed fully in the South Africa Azure Region.

“The project allowed MTN to experience the benefits associated with deploying a core network in Azure including fast deployment time (days vs months) and ease of scale. The learnings drive a paradigm shift in network planning considering sustainability, commercial models, automation and disaster recovery.”

“Microsoft is equipping industry leaders with ubiquitous computing power to help them realize the potential of 5G networks. With Azure, MTN can enrich its digital capabilities and enable organisations across industries to bring modern high-performance applications to their customers faster,” adds Microsoft Azure for Operators corporate VP Tad Brockway.

Executing on the PACE technology strategy, MTN Group is accelerating its rollout of 5G sites, targeting a population coverage of 10% to 30% in the medium term.

“5G has the ability to transform business and livelihoods beyond simple connectivity in Africa. The key lies in the ultra-fast end-to-end communication capacity it enables. It will enable many industries such as education, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture and mining to be more efficient,” Maharaj concludes.