Ralph Mupita, the CEO, of MTN Group, recently disclosed that 5G technology brings a new world of opportunities based on its low latency and applications that will be captured by businesses playing in the telecommunications sub-sector and other tech-enabled companies.
Mupita stated this during a monitored interview on Arise TV’s Global Business Report, where he gave an indication of what the telco will achieve with the spectrum license. “We have often said that the shift from 4G to 5G is as revolutionary as the shift from 2G to 3G”.
According to him, the 5G license won by MTN Nigeria will usher in a new world of opportunities. “What is exciting for us are the industrial applications that come with 5G, the ability for companies to use high tech in how they run businesses. People talk about web 3.0, the metaverse. 5G enables a lot of that,” Mupita stated.
In December 2021, MTN Nigeria was successful in its bid to acquire one of the two 100MHZ spectrum licenses in the 3.5GHz spectrum band auctioned by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The 5G license acquisition by MTN is considered by analysts a significant step towards achieving the goals of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-25).
The analysts state that 5G will enable seamless communication and interconnectivity between smart devices, based on its potential to accelerate the digital transformation of many industries.
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According to Mupita, MTN is in the process of securing 5G frequencies in other countries across the continent. “We are arranging ourselves to be able to secure the frequencies across markets, there is a multiband auction in South Africa that we will participate in, and other markets will be calling. In the next couple of years, we will arrange to have the 5G frequencies and then build out the ecosystem.”
However, in keeping with its goals of enabling businesses and individuals, the telco has announced the 2022 edition of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee Competition, which offers Nigerian students a chance to be MTN Nigeria’s CEO for a day.
In this third edition, the competition, which aims to promote literacy, sharpen comprehension, and improve the vocabulary of kids will be executed in a hybrid format – the first two rounds will be held on the mPulse website, while the grand finale will take place in Lagos on November 19, 2022.
“The mPulse Spelling Bee is designed to help students expand their vocabulary, engage in healthy competition and provide relevant resources to maximise their potential,” Adia Sowho, the chief marketing officer (CMO), MTN Nigeria, stated while speaking on this year’s edition.
According to her, students who want to migrate to the mPulse plan should text the word ‘mPulse’ to 344 or dial *344*1#. “We remain committed to providing more enabling platforms for youth education and empowerment in our communities and hope that this edition keeps our kids goal-oriented, competitive, and resilient to conquer challenges,” Sowho stated.
This year’s competition will reward the top 20 spellers with over N8 million cash prizes, Laptops, smartphones, and more for student winners and an opportunity to become MTN CEO for a day. While the spelling bee champion’s school will be rewarded with state-of-the-art ICT devices.
The competition is open to students between the ages of 9 and 15. Students may register to participate at the mPulse Website, provided they are registered on the mPulse plan.
