In March this year, MTN SA announced the investment of R1.5billion towards network resilience programme that is aimed at warding off the negative impact and frustration caused by power cuts, theft and vandalism and help enhance network availability and stability over the long-term.
The investment has resulted in an improvement in network availability in line with international benchmarks despite the ongoing bouts of loadshedding.
The investment has seen the company deploying additional sites and doubling its 5G sites in the province.
“Our purpose is to accelerate digital access for as many South Africans as possible and brighten lives through the power of connectivity. In the Western Cape, our overall network resilience completion rate is at 90%. It will be 93% at the end of October, and we expect to have 97% resilience completed by the end of November,” says Paul Newman, General Manager for MTN in the Western Cape.
While network availability during load-shedding was often reduced to 92% in the Western Cape, Newman says with the current resilience completion rate, network availability has been above 99% and this is improving further as MTN’s network resilience drive continues.
With a significant portion of South Africa’s population living in rural areas, MTN is committed to expanding its network to underserved communities and aims to achieve 95% rural broadband coverage by 2025. MTN Group is chasing the same ambition across Africa.
“While mobile has been driving digital inclusion, there remain significant connectivity gaps in areas not yet covered by a mobile broadband network. These uncovered communities – predominantly rural, farms, and semi-townships are a key focus for us. I am pleased that we are making significant progress in closing this access gap in the Western Cape,” says Newman.
In the Western Cape, numerous underserved communities are benefiting from the network resilience programme with more sites expected to be modernised in the coming months.
“MTN will continue to play a bold role in accelerating South Africa’s development. We know that extending digital and financial inclusion is more critical than ever, and innovation won’t stop as we drive further progress and significantly enhance access from here”, says Newman.
“We want the opportunities that the digital world offers to be universal, contributing as a positive force for the transformation of individuals, companies, and society. To support this, we are harnessing the power of MTN across our key regions”.
MTN’s progress and leading edge in the market were recently cemented through South Africa’s biggest-ever network quality testing project conducted by MyBroadband Insights. Surpassing the industry regulations set by ICASA, MTN SA was found to have an Average Call Setup Success Ratio of 98.20%, and a Dropped Call Ratio of only 2.37%.
MTN SA has also been noted for its resilience against the challenges caused by load-shedding, backed by significant investments in batteries and backup generators, further strengthening its network quality and reliability.
However, MTN SA says communities must continue to play a proactive role in helping mitigate the effects of site vandalism, especially during load-shedding.
“The impact of theft and vandalism of network sites remains a challenge, and proactive policing can play a significant role in helping mitigate this impact on communities. Criminals have continued to use the cover of darkness during load shedding as an opportunity to strike, but our fightback, with the support of our communities in the Western Cape has been strong,” concludes Newman.
