With demand for data rising as much as 45% in Gauteng, MTN South Africa is ramping up investment to meet demand, maintain network excellence and extend reach into township areas. The fight against battery theft and vandalism remains a key priority in 2022.
The investment budget for Gauteng in 2022 amounts to R2.2 billion, as MTN continues to ensure more people are connected to and benefit from the digital world.
“Gauteng remains SA’s economic hub, with half of all national 5G traffic generated from the province. MTN also saw a 45% increase year-on-year in data volume growth in February,” says Keith Tukei, General Manager for Gauteng Operations at MTN SA. “We are therefore making numerous strategic investments to enhance access, availability, modernisation and boost the rollout of solutions into rural areas.”
MTN’s countrywide Modernisation of Network South Africa (MONZA) project – 68% of which has already been completed nationally, will see 1,350 sites set to be finalised during the year, with around 200 key regions covered across SA.
In terms of 5G, MTN is expanding on its 555 5G sites in Gauteng and adding 20 5G sites in the Rustenburg and Brits areas in the North West.
“Our investment will continue to drive the rollout of 5G to enable seamless, fast and cutting-edge experience online. We expect to see Gauteng continuing to lead the drive for 5G and other business-focused innovations such as AI, the IoT and augmented reality grow,” says Tukei.
The intention of the investment is to increase network coverage, improve throughputs and customer experience in the region. However, consistent theft of batteries and vandalism at network towers remains a major threat to all networks across SA, and Gauteng is no exception.
“This is a serious issue that denies so many people and businesses access to connectivity, for work and entertainment, or just to stay in touch with loved ones. When connectivity is needed for emergency situations, this becomes even more worrisome,” continues Tukei.
MTN has set aside R30m for Gauteng, to help limit the direct damage, and this will go towards adhoc repairs, general repairs, fibre repairs and vandalism. “Ensuring our customers are affected as little as possible remains our number one aim.”.
“At MTN SA we are committed to improving access to digital opportunities for more South Africans by accelerating the delivery of reliable, superior network experiences,” concludes Tukei.
