MTN has launched its 5G network in Lagos and said it plans to activate the service in six other states.
The leading mobile telecommunication company said its 5G services would soon be live in Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano and Maiduguri.
More sites, more services
The company said in its 2022 half-year report that about 127 sites had been set up in anticipation of the 5G launch. The firm plans to blanket Nigeria with 5G coverage by 2025 and roll out the technology in phases.
The fifth-generation (5G) network will change how people communicate forever. It has higher speed and lower latency than other generation networks, assuring less time wasted sending and receiving data on the web.
MTN wants to extend its reach and coverage with the technology. According to the company, the focus will allow its customers to connect faster than before and provide high-speed internet that makes downloads faster and digitization hassle-free.
Benefits of 5G services
Reports quote the company’s CEO, Karl Toriola, as saying at the launch in Lagos that every significant tech revolution changes how people live and connect and what’s possible.
He highlighted the GSM journey in Nigeria and the emergence of the internet.
Karl Toriola said 5G would change everything and allow users to connect, create, collaborate and compete in ways never imagined.
In December 2021, two telecom companies, MTN and Mafab Communications won the 3.5GHz 5G spectrum license at an auction conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The telcos were required to roll out the 5G service by August this year as a condition for the license. However, Mafab is yet to meet the requirement and was granted a five-month extension.
MTN says its 5G service is now live at 190 sites across Nigeria
Recall that Legit.ng reported that MTN has said it switched on its highly awaited fifth generation (5G) internet service at 190 sites across Nigeria but mostly in Lagos and Abuja, with some users saying that internet speeds of up to 1.48 per second.
A BusinessDay report says that the launch of the 5G service happened on the same day the Nigeria Communications Commission announced the date of the official rollout of the service across the country.
Reports say that by October, it is expected that MTN’s 5G will be operating at 500-600 sites in Nigeria.