MTN gears up to connect industries, enterprises across the continent

MTN has created a conducive environment that has enabled millions of customers to be connected. Now the operator is gearing up for the next phase of connectivity by increasing the roll-out of infrastructure to support the uptake of the Internet of things (IOT) by industry and enterprises.

According to the findings of the studies by the GSMA, mobile penetration in Africa has grown to 82.9%, and apps - most notably instant messaging and banking apps - continue to shape and influence how people transact and interact. Africa is expected to have 450 million IOT connections by 2020 that will permeate all of industries and enterprise.

Babak Fouladi, MTN Group Executive for Technology and Information Systems, told delegates at AfricaCom that IOT services can seamlessly be deployed based on the expansive network infrastructure that MTN has rolled out across its operations in Africa and the Middle East.

MTN has rolled out approximately 53 000 2G base stations, 37 000 3G base stations and over 12 000 4G sites that service about 234.7 million subscribers in 22 markets.

"MTN has made great strides to enrich the communities it touches through the deployment of infrastructure, value-added services and tailored solutions that address the challenges that its customers are facing. Our mobile money platforms have given millions of subscribers the opportunity to transact securely and conveniently, while our digital platforms such as MTN Play are reservoirs of info-entertainment for millions of our customers.

"We have witnessed how abundant digital services have helped to enrich people's lives, and we are excited about venturing into the next terrain of connectivity, which is about connecting industries and enterprises through creating linkages between people, devices and machines. We have successfully launched a pioneering NB-IOT service in Africa, and we are looking forward to provide IOT services in other areas, as well as including smart farming, smart fridges, smart homes, wildlife tracking and smart parking," said Fouladi.