MTN achieves 98% network availability in Limpopo province
BEATING LOADSHEDDING MTN aims to end 2024 with a network availability of 96% under Stage 6 loadshedding and greater than 99% under Stage 2 loadshedding
Photo by Bloomberg
As telecommunications giant MTN South Africa accelerates its nationwide modernisation programme, the company has achieved a record 98.33% daily network availability in Limpopo.
The 2024 resilience plan, which was completed in the first quarter of the year, aims to ensure there is backup power, such as batteries or hybrid generators, on hub sites to minimise network unavailability during loadshedding, load reduction and extended power failures.
The roll-out in the province and across South Africa has led to improved throughput and availability, reduced drop call rates and increased data volumes, says MTN South Africa acting regional GM Isaac Monama.
During 2023, MTN South Africa deployed R10.1-billion in capital expenditure to drive network capacity expansion and power resilience.
More than R2.6-billion of this amount was invested in power and security resilience as 2023 experienced more intense power outages, with a total of 335 loadshedding days, compared with 205 in 2022.
By the end of the year, network availability had improved significantly across the entire network, reaching 95% ahead of schedule. Network availability for sites where the resilience investment had been completed had surpassed 98%.
“Overall network availability [in Limpopo] has improved by 27.18% since the start of the resilience programme, compared with last year. Sites with resilience have a network availability of greater than 97% under Stage 4 loadshedding.”
The aim now is to end 2024 with a network availability of 96% under Stage 6 loadshedding and greater than 99% under Stage 2 loadshedding.
In Limpopo, fourth-generation (4G) population coverage reached 99.41% and MTN activated 56 fifth-generation (5G) sites across the province during 2023, with plans to add another 60 5G sites to the network in 2024.
“MTN is committed to expanding its network to underserved communities and aims to achieve 95% broadband coverage by 2025,” Monama continues.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation