MTN Nigeria has commenced its commercial 5G network services in Lagos, with a promise to launch the network in Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Maiduguri.
The Lagos 5G commercial launch came on the heels of its 5G pilot launch three weeks ago, as mandated by the telecoms industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
MTN had during the pilot launch,promised to carry out 5G commercial launch in six cities, beginning from Lagos.
Speaking during the launch in Lagos, its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Karl Toriola, said the event was in fulfillment of MTN’s earlier promise to begin 5G commercial launch in cities, within one month of 5G rollout.
The advanced 5G technology promises to extend the reach and capacity of MTN Nigeria’s data network in Nigeria and enable much faster speeds and lower latency, giving customers near-instant access to the things they care about and downloads that take seconds, instead of minutes.
According to him:“To access the 5G network and enjoy its benefits, customers would need compatible devices, such as routers and mobile phones, which can be pre-ordered from designated MTN walk-in stores and online via the MTN Nigeria website and e-marketplace. The pre-ordered devices could be picked up or would be delivered to customers at designated location.”
He promised that the same vigour MTN deployed services in second, third and fourth generation networks is what will be applied in the 5G technology to make it massively accessible to majority of users particularly in major urban cities in the coming weeks and months.
He added: “Although the company was going to make decisive investments in the roll out of 5G in Nigeria, 4G is still the company’s bread and butter and investments, deployments for both networks would be done simultaneously.
He lamented the challenges of getting the foreign exchange to import necessary facilities to fast track deployment of networks including 5G, but noted that as a Nigerian company, persevering to surmount the challenges is part of the prices to pay to get the country back on the right economic footing.
Also speaking,the Chief Marketing Officer, Adia Sowho,said that the network will not only help MTN to connect, create, collaborate, and compete in ways never imagined, it will also help users realise full potentials of the internet revolution and enjoy communication and interactions spectacularly.
She said: “Every major technological evolution redefines what is possible – changing the way we live and the way we connect. If 4G helped you to communicate with people, 5G will help you feel them closer. The possibilities of 5G are in such a way we have not even begun to imagine”
Earlier, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC Prof Umar Danbatta commended MTN for its pioneering role in the 5G deployment in Nigeria, promising that the commission will continue to provide enabling environment for businesses like MTN which correctly interprets government policies of engendering growth in different sectors.
Danbatta said the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, the efforts of Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami and the regulatory prowess of the NCC gave rise to the feat MTN has achieved in being the first to deploy 5G in Nigeria