Nigeria’s leading mobile telecommunications company, MTN announced some months ago, that they are about to launch the very first trial of 5G technologies in Nigeria and this announcement sent some euphoria among users of the network.
This euphoria is very understandable; the new technology is expected to bring with it a lot of improvements to internet usage.
But what is 5G technology and when is MTN 5G finally launching in Nigeria? We will walk you through the answers.
What Is 5G Technology?
In simple terms, the 5G technology is the fifth generation of broadband cellular network which is way advanced than it’s predecessors. You must have heard of the 2G, 3G and 4G technologies before. These are broadband cellular network technologies which power internet connectivity in mobile phones used by billions of people around the world. As you may have observed, these technologies have evolved over time, from 2G to 3G and now to 4G.
Apparently, 4G, which is the fourth generation of broadband cellular network technology, is currently the fastest. People who use the technology have access to greater data download speeds.
Now, the 5G technology is being proposed.
The 5G technology is expected to come with a lot of improvements not seen on the 4G technology. Called the fifth generation of broadband cellular network, this technology is targeted at attaining incredibly high data transfer rate, cost reduction, reduced latency and massive device connectivity. The technology is energy saving and has higher system capacity.
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MTN And The 5G Technology
MTN, the mobile telecommunications company which has always prided itself in the innovations it has kept bringing to the table over the years, announced earlier this year (2018) that it was going to launch the first trial of MTN 5G technologies in Nigeria.
Announcing the development, the company described the 5G technology speed as the highest achieved on any mobile network in Africa. The new mtn 5G technology will enable MTN to provide better data services at a more affordable cost to its subscribers in Nigeria.
When Will The MTN 5G Technology Be Launched In Nigeria
MTN announced the coming of the 5G technology to Nigeria in Lagos. The company revealed that it will be launched before the year 2020.
Ferdi Moolman, the Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, who was represented by the Chief Transformation Officer of the company, Bayo Adekambi, spoke about the launch of the MTN 5G technology in Lagos at the ICT CEO forum in July, 2018.
Hear him: “In 2017, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ericsson to collaborate on the roll-out of 5G infrastructure in South Africa as a trial. We have also tested 5G use cases, which we believe will get us ready for commercial deployment before the year 2020.”
According to him, the MTN 5G technology would attract investment in business, education and health.
He said: “5G will make our life better, drive incremental capacity and open up new businesses.”
Conditions For The Sound Evolution of the Technology
Apparently, no technology survives without a thriving environment created for it. The MTN CEO while still speaking elaborated that the MTN 5G technology will need the right climate to thrive. This right climate, according to him is the more stable economy.
He explained that a more conducive business environment and protection of telecom infrastructure is completely inevitable in the quest to attract the investment which is being envisaged when the technology is finally deployed.
Hear him: “We will need a more stable economic climate to support the investment in the infrastructure. The issue of tax must be reviewed. There must be support for telecom infrastructure as national assets to be able to drive incremental investment and make the nation appealing to foreign investors.” (Sic: Punch)
The MTN 5G Technology Has Been Launched In South Africa
MTN has already launched the MTN 5G technology in South Africa. However, the 5G infrastructure was only rolled out in the Souternh African nation as a trial.
After the trial, the MTN company claimed that the MTN 5G technology has been found out to be at least 100 times faster than 4G. That is unbelievably impressive.
According to the company, the speed of 5G is the without doubt the highest ever achieved on any mobile network in Africa and is set to perform wonders.
Now, the plan of the company is to work towards deploying the impressive, new technology to Nigeria where the company currently has a 4G license already.
Apparently, Nigerians can’t wait to feel the impact of the 5G network as technology continues to expand the frontiers in this age and time.
