MTN Nigeria Communications has finally kicked off an open pilot of its highly anticipated 5G technology in seven Nigerian cities.
The company yesterday revealed it has picked seven cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri, as locations where it intends to test the next-generation network infrastructure.
With the successful launch of this technology, Nigeria will join South Africa and Kenya as the only countries to have formally launched the 5G network on the continent.
Customers with enabled devices will be allowed to connect and try out the new 5G service wherever coverage is available.
According to a report by BusinesDay, 5G technology has been switched on in 190 sites across the country with more concentration in Lagos and Abuja.Some users of this technology have also reported internet speeds up to 1.4g per second.
MTN also announced that compatible devices like routers and mobile phones have been displayed at their designated MTN walk-in stores and online via the MTN Nigeria website and e-marketplace, where customers can enter and place orders.
These devices aim to ensure customers enjoy seamless transitions into the new technology.
According to the Telecoms group, the purchased products will be delivered to customers after the event’s launch in the coming weeks.
This successful launch of the 5G technology comes eight months after the company paid $276 million for a licence.
Reports also reveal that customers with 5 G-enabled Samsung phones should be able to access the technology in a month, while iPhone users might have to wait until October.
Recall that two telecoms companies, MTN and Mafab Communications, emerged winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum licence last December.
The Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, had given August 24, 2022, as the deadline to roll out the 5G technology. While MTN has launched the Fifth-Generation (5G) service, Mafab Communications was granted a five-month extension for the rollout of the service in Nigeria.
According to a 2020 GSMA Intelligence report by The Mobile Economy, this development holds a huge prospect and a promising future for technology in Nigeria as the spectrum issued to MTN Nigeria as one of the two successful winners of the 5G license bid is projected to contribute $2.2 trillion to the global economy by 2034.
