MTN Nigeria on Wednesday said it had turned on the 5G spectrum in Nigeria with 20,000 subscribers.
The telecoms giant also said potential users can pre-order a home broadband device to experience internet “downloads in seconds, not minutes.”
“2G brought us SMS and picture messaging,” MTN CFO Modupe Kadiri said in a post. “3G was about mobile internet access.
“4G made streaming and sharing a part of everyday life. 5G delivers the future and it’s here – higher internet speeds, downloads without delay, near-instant connection when streaming, using apps, loading websites, playing games, or connecting to smart home devices.
“So today we started another phase in our journey to Brighten the lives of our esteemed subscribers.
“Yes today we turned on the 5G spectrum and kicked off our 5G pilot. 20,000 customers with enabled devices can now try out our next-generation network where coverage is available.
“So seeing 5G on your phone? It means you’re part of the pilot. Welcome to the wonder of 5G!”
The network says it plans to roll out its 5G Operations in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.
MTN said through its ongoing testing of the 5G infrastructure, its customers with certain enabled devices will be allowed to connect with and try out the new service where coverage is available.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, 5G licensees are supposed to begin rollout commencement on the 24th of August. Mafab Communications Limited, the only other telecommunication firm with a 5G licence, has since announced that it will miss out on the commission’s target.
This is because the NCC granted it a five-month extension to roll out 5G services because of the delays in issuing the telco a Unified Access Service Licence and Numbering plan.
Chairman, Mafab, Musbahu Bashir, said, “I have no doubt that the service will help deliver improvements in the fields of education, business, smart cities and entertainment. The goal remains to launch before the 5-month extension period, and we will be sharing more information in the near future.”
