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MTN invests R624m into Eastern Cape network expansion

20th May 2022

By: Natasha Odendaal

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Telecommunications group MTN’s ‘Modernisation of Network South Africa’, or Monza, project is expanding into the Eastern Cape with an investment of R624-million to upgrade and deploy new network infrastructure across the province this year.

The Monza project aims to expand network reach into rural communities, drive fifth-generation (5G) expansion and restore vandalised network infrastructure.

Overall, 68% has been completed nationally, with an additional 1 350 sites set to be finalised and about 200 top areas covered across South Africa by the end of 2022.

“We are working across the country to modernise the entire MTN network. “Just over 68% has already been completed nationally, and the Eastern Cape is our next focus area,” says MTN South Africa Eastern Cape GM Maria Soares van Niekerk.

“While we have invested in improving data speeds and connections in the short term, this plan is longer-term in nature, securing resilience, stability, quality and helping us expand our reach significantly.”

The company currently provides coverage to over 98% of the population in the Eastern Cape province and the project will increase this network coverage, improve throughputs, and elevate customer experience.

MTN is planning to focus on 491 towers as part of its network resilience and optimisation programme, which will increase coverage and capacity.

MTN will also extend its 5G connectivity across the region, with another 18 5G sites planned for 2022, adding to the current 94 live 5G sites.

“A key determinant of the success of the MTN modernisation project, however, is the ongoing problem of battery theft and tower vandalism,” adds Soares van Niekerk.

“Across the region, 45% of sites in the Queenstown subregion and 44% of sites in the Mthatha subregion will therefore get new batteries to improve network resilience in 2022. “This is over and above the R650-million invested in 2021, with2 600 base station batteries replaced nationally.”

In the Western Cape, MTN is investing R749-million to boost its expansion drive into rural and periurban areas and continue its major 5G roll-out.

The top three targets for the province in 2022 are improving availability of the network, increasing data throughputs and expanding MTN’s 5G footprint.

Some R700-million is being invested to modernise existing, and deploy new, network infrastructure across KwaZulu-Natal.

The investment, which is an addition to the R500-million invested in 2021, will go towards expanding rural reach and 5G capacity, as well as the restoration of vandalised network infrastructure.

Another R820-million is being directed across Limpopo and Mpumalanga to modernise its network and deploy new infrastructure.

The Monza roll-out in the two provinces will include improvement and modernisation of 230 sites and 76 new site builds to add to the existing 1 850, while the extension of MTN’s 5G connectivity includes rolling out 58 new sites in 2022 to add to the existing 53.

Further, the company is spending R412-million in the Free State and R215-million in the Northern Cape in 2022, with a focus on network availability and expansion, rural roll-out, 5G deployment and expediting battery resilience.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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