The switching off of the 3G network by 2027 will ensure all South Africans have access to faster, more efficient 4G and 5G technology, says MTN SA CEO Charles Molapisi.
MTN South Africa has set its sights on decommissioning its 3G network by 2027, as it looks to technologies such as 5G.
According to Molapisi, decommissioning the 3G network by 2027 will ensure all South Africans have access to faster, more efficient 4G and 5G technology. “We want to collapse the 3G layer and narrow the 2G layer and just provide a sliver of 2G. We have already started on this. In some areas, because of the level of 4G penetration, we have re-farmed some of the 3G network. It’s not national yet, but the smart way of doing this is to look at it by locality.”He added that MTN needs to switch off the 3G network because it’s simply not feasible to keep supporting multiple generations of networks simultaneously.
Some media reports have alleged that MNOs are pushing for the likes of Starlink not to be licensed in the country, as they fear competition. “If a satellite service provider comes to compete with MNOs, it must be governed by the same regulatory framework that governs the MNOs. If I am supposed to do quality of service, they should also do the same. If I am doing KYC , they must do KYC. If I am doing end-user subscriber regulations, they should also do the same. That has been the fundamental position for the industry.
According to MTN, MoMo has reached 13 million registered users in South Africa, with monthly active users growing steadily.
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