Telecommunications giant MTN and information and communication technology solutions provider Huawei have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a joint fifth-generation (5G) innovation programme

The partners will assess and work on new technologies, such as 5G and artificial intelligence (AI), starting with the launch of a C-band 5G trial as part of MTN’s network evolution plan towards 5G.

The so-called golden band for 5G spectrum, the C-band comprises a frequency range of 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz.

“Many countries around the world are deploying this spectrum band to deliver their 5G services, making it highly valuable for mobile operators,” says MTN chief technology and information officer Giovanni Chiarelli.

The trial demonstrates use cases such as a live 5G speed test with throughputs of up to 1.6 Gb/s and cloud virtual reality gaming, a robotic arm guessing platform and augmented reality eyeglasses demonstrating facial recognition through a series of live 5G demonstrations.

“This trial demonstrates the capability of this new technology, while giving customers a glimpse of what the future holds and showcasing the next generation of applications for consumer and enterprise customers,” he says.

MTN, with ambitions of developing use cases that have a social impact, including smart city and education driven by 5G and AI technologies, will further cooperate with Huawei to accelerate commercial 5G deployment.

“5G is at the stage of large-scale deployment in 2019 globally,” adds Huawei Carrier Business VP for Southern Africa Dean Yu.

“In the 5G era, more cloud native services will appear. With the redefinition of the smart clients, broad pipes and cloud applications, devices can be significantly simplified and more capabilities can be mapped from clouds to devices,” he explains.

Huawei will provide innovative products and solutions for MTN and continue supporting MTN’s requirements, he concludes.