MTN Nigeria has launched 5G commercial services across some areas of Lagos, the former capital of the country.
The operator has been supported by Swedish vendor Ericsson, which has provided its 5G radio access network and NSA (non-standalone) packet core to support the 5G services.
It follows a successful pilot scheme last month that MTN Nigeria trialed ahead of the commercial launch. The trial was available to customers with compatible 5G devices, where MTN's 5G coverage was available.
MTN has plans to launch 5G services in seven cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri. The operator spent $273.6 million for the 100MHz of 3.5GHz spectrum it acquired at last year's spectrum launch.
“5G will revolutionize the way we live and communicate across industries," said MTN Nigeria chief technical officer Mohammed Rufai.
"With the speeds 5G offers, we will be able to experience the internet with low latency, which means no lag, making our virtual interactions more real."
