(Ecofin Agency) - Africa faces significant connectivity gaps, despite rapid mobile penetration. ORAN is especially valuable in emerging markets like Africa, where cost-efficient solutions are crucial for expanding rural coverage and modernizing networks to support growing data demand.

On November 28, MTN Group announced a partnership with the ORAN Development Company (ODC) based in Northern Virginia. This collaboration aims to develop and test innovative Open RAN (ORAN) solutions tailored to Africa’s diverse connectivity needs.

Amith Maharaj, MTN Group’s Network Design and Planning Executive, stated, “Open RAN represents a transformative approach to how we design and operate our infrastructure. Through our collaboration with ODC, we are unlocking new possibilities to expand our reach, improve service quality, and empower the communities we serve.”

Open RAN decouples hardware and software components in network architecture, enabling telecom operators to integrate components from different vendors. This flexibility significantly lowers operational and capital expenditures.

MTN began exploring Open RAN technology in 2019 with small-scale deployments to improve rural connectivity. By 2020, it partnered with Parallel Wireless, Vanu, and NuRAN to deploy 5,000 Open RAN sites across Africa and collaborated with the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) to upgrade its transport infrastructure, according to GSMA's Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2021 report. By July 2021, 38 countries globally were engaged in Open RAN trials, deployments, or commitments, underscoring the technology’s growing adoption.

As part of the initiative, ODC and MTN will launch a joint lab to test ORAN solutions, focusing on enhancing network flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. The companies will conduct lab and field trials to ensure optimal performance and seamless integration into MTN’s existing infrastructure. Additionally, MTN will collaborate with ODC to optimize ORAN software using artificial intelligence to reduce operational costs.

The partnership also emphasizes research and development in next-generation technologies, including 6G and non-terrestrial communications, which will be integrated into ODC’s ORAN stack.

MTN’s strategy highlights the potential of Open RAN to modernize networks, with its extensive footprint and vendor collaborations set to drive regional adoption and scalability. This initiative represents a significant step in advancing resilient, adaptable network solutions to address Africa’s unique connectivity challenges while laying the foundation for future technologies.

Hikmatu Bilali