MTN Nigeria has begun to connect its subscribers in seven states across the country in rollout of the new 5G network, leaving 29 other states for subsequent exercises.
MTN Nigeria said the test run of the 5G service woukd go live in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Oweri, and Maiduguri, with subscribers in the aforementioned regions gaining access to faster Internet speed.
This development came days after Mafab Communications reported it hit a setback in its new 5G network rollout.
Recall that both MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications had bidden alongside Airtel Nigeria for the 5G spectrum, but Airtel dropped out of the 11-round bid that took place in December 2021.
Earlier this week, Mafab Communications said it would not meet the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) deadline for the 5G rollout, which was August 24, 2022.
While Mafab Communications secured an extra five months from the telecommunications regulator to get its house in order and launch the new generation network by January, MTN, in a statement on Wednesday, reported that test run had begun on the last day of the rollout timetable.
MTN Nigeria disclosed that not all subscribers in the seven selected states would be able to connect to the 5G network, as users needed to have a 5G-enabled device to access the network.
The statement reads: “Customers with certain enabled devices will be allowed to connect with and try out the new service where coverage is available.
“The advanced 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.”
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