MTN South Africa is working to expand its 5G coverage and has deployed 5G towers in Polokwane in Limpopo and Emalahleni (Witbank) in Mpumalanga. Despite uncertainty about the allocation of new spectrum, it has deployed 5G towers, reports Tech Central.
“MTN is making strides with its 5G technology rollout strategy,” said Kagiso Moncho, MTN General Manager for Northern Region.
Kagiso added: “We have already activated 5G in greater Polokwane and Witbank, and intend to expand the 5G coverage footprint further across the region, into areas such as Nelspruit and Middelburg. Added to this is that 93% of towers in the Northern Region have LTE.”
MTN South Africa is also investing ZAR 350 million in the 2021 financial year in improving the network in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the North West areas. It will modernise and upgrade it, building new sites and transmission links.
“We want to bridge the digital divide and create exciting opportunities for communities, businesses, and individual users. Our investment is therefore far more than achieving market share growth in the region – it is about bringing the benefits of the digital world to more people through a stable, secure and innovative network experience,” Kagiso said.
While battery theft and vandalism remain a challenge, MTN has earmarked part of the investment for battery replacement and security programmes in the Northern Region.