MTN Nigeria is bullish on the impact of its 4G+ advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology with increased broadband speed which has the potential to revolutionise the way Nigerian businesses work. The telco becomes the first to upscale its network for future demand and preparation for 5G in the digital revolution.
The enhanced service, aimed at delivering a premium experience to more people across the country, has launched in three major cities in the country, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, the major business hubs where most commercial and financial activities are carried out and the administrative capital of Nigeria.
The difference between 4G and 4G+ is the maximum theoretical speed, bandwidth and minimum latency customers can get. 4G can reach speeds up to 100Mbit per second, while the 4G+ (LTE-A) can reach up to or over 1GBit per second, with less than a few milliseconds of latency.
With the faster speeds and lower latencies, 4G+ will allow MTN’s over 64 million subscribers to watch a lot of HD movies at once, do some live online gaming, and much more. 4G+ works through carrier aggregation, which allows 4G phones to receive data from multiple bands in the 4G spectrum. So, while 4G uses only one band at a time, 4G+ can combine two bands for increased speed.
In a statement sent to BusinessDay, the telecommunication service provider says its MTN 4G+ runs on 4G LTE Advanced Technology using a combination of the recently acquired 800 MHz spectrum from Visafone and the 2600 MHz it acquired as a sole bidder during the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) spectrum sale.
“The added spectrum and advanced technology extend the reach and capacity of MTN’s data network in Nigeria and enables speeds of up to 200 Mbps. This means a 30-minute HD video could take as little as three minutes to download on 4G+, while the same video would take around eight minutes to download on standard 4G,” the company said.
“The service is immediately available and will deliver much higher broadband speeds, a more consistent connection and significant improvement in indoor coverage,” it said.
With over 119 million internet subscribers, several of which conduct business and financial transactional activities online, industry watchers say that this high speed internet will in many ways enhance business activities, as it will allow much richer applications to be run on mobile devices.
Data consumption is set to more than triple in coming years. New innovations like 4G+ in Nigeria continue to attract Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), as the country’s smartphone penetration figures grow and the number of 4G compatible phones continues to increase. This also means that the country will be ready for what the future holds, as 4G+ services available to businesses and consumers will increase bandwidth available to mobile devices.
“Countries like the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Korea, Norway and others are enjoying the benefits of 4G advanced broadband which has significantly impacted the development of their economy. For businesses, this technology is fast enough to download huge files or have a High Definition (HD) video conference call on the go. Technology is changing the way we do things and more offices are becoming virtual,” Subomi Sodipo, CEO, CF Mobile, told BusinessDay.
“If Nigeria is thinking of advancing with future technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and wants to be part of the fourth industrial revolution, then this is the way to go. With the launch of 4G+, 5G is no longer a distant prediction,” he said.
A BusinessDay source at MTN Nigeria revealed that the company will be making further investments costing millions of dollars to cover other cities in the next few months and eventually the entire country with its 4G+ service.
“This broadband technology and network service expansion is very capital-intensive but plans are already underway to upscale network, existing base stations will be re-dimensioned and we will roll out 4G+ in a few other states across the country before the end of this year,” the source said.
Commenting on the new service, Mazen Mroue, chief operating officer, MTN Nigeria, said, “It’s about the customer. We put the customer at the heart of everything that we do.”
He noted that the launch of 4G+ represents a natural evolution from MTN’s already fast and reliable 4G network and further demonstrates the company’s commitment to continued investment in technology that caters to the present and future needs of its customers and country.
“At MTN, we believe that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. With this enhancement, our customers in covered locations can expect faster downloads and uploads, and better browsing and streaming experiences. The successful launch of our 4G+ network is a momentous occasion, which advances our quest to provide world-class service to our customers,” Mroue said.
Despite the grim challenges arising from the N330bn fine imposed on it by telecommunication regulator, tax fraud accusations and economic downturn, MTN, which grew to become the largest mobile network operator in the country in terms of market share evaluation, reach and subscriber numbers, has continued to demonstrate implicit confidence in its Nigerian operations, with continuous upgrades in its business and network expansion. It has particularly focused on investing hugely in its data service as the company sees steady increase in data revenues year on year.
Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson
