South Africa’s MTN Group and Northern Virginia-headquartered Open RAN Development Company (ODC) have entered into a strategic partnership to develop and test innovative Open RAN (ORAN) solutions tailored to unique requirements of networks across Africa.

The collaboration supports MTN Group’s commitment to provide affordable, high-quality telecommunications throughout the continent, with advanced Open RAN architectures enabling greater network flexibility.

ODC and MTN are launching joint lab innovative initiatives to test true ORAN solutions, enhancing network agility, scalability and efficiency, and, as part of this initiative, the companies will conduct lab and field trials, ensuring optimised performance and seamless integration into MTN Group’s existing network infrastructure.

MTN Group will also guide ODC in optimising ORAN software and platform development with AI to streamline operational expenditure across the network.

The partnership will also focus on cutting-edge research and development in 6G and non-terrestrial communications, incorporating these advancements into ODC’s ORAN stack.

“Open RAN represents a transformative approach to how we design and operate our infrastructure—enhancing flexibility, driving cost efficiencies and paving the way for next-generation technologies,” said MTN Group network design and planning executive Amith Maharaj.

“At MTN, we are continuously seeking innovative solutions to address Africa’s unique connectivity challenges while building resilient and future-ready networks. Through our collaboration with ODC, we are unlocking new possibilities to expand our reach, improve service quality and empower the communities and businesses we serve.”

“Our collaboration with MTN Group focuses ODC directly on MTN’s unique network needs, enhancing efficiencies while supporting the evolution of next-generation capabilities, silicon and AI,” added ODC CEO Matthew Johnson.

“This partnership represents a pivotal step in achieving network innovation in Africa, and ODC is honoured to support MTN Group in pioneering robust, adaptable network solutions for the future.”