MTN South Africa has reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Telecom Global and Huawei to develop digital infrastructure across MTN’s African footprint.
According to Reuters, the partnership aims to leverage China Telecom's expertise in network solutions, MTN's expansive regional reach and Huawei's technology solutions.
Kai Chen, executive vice president of China Telecom Global, said the three companies would create “a powerful alliance to drive digital infrastructure development on the continent”, the report said.
MTN Group currently has telco operations in 17 markets on the African continent, as well as two others in the Middle East.
The report named 5G, cloud, AI and enterprise solutions as likely technology areas that the three firms will focus on to unlock new business opportunities. MTN South Africa highlighted IoT as another area of interest.
"For MTN's business customers, network service improvements could offer new possibilities in smart mining and industrial applications," Tumi Sekhukhune-Chamayou, chief enterprise business officer at MTN South Africa, told Reuters.
MTN South Africa is already working with Huawei to trial 5G-Advanced technology at MTN’s head office in Johannesburg, following an MoU signed by both companies in June to collaborate on 5G-A. MTN’s parent company MTN Group inaugurated a Technology Innovation Lab with Huawei in April.
