MTN Commences $ 1.3 billion Network Upgrade

Nigeria’s largest telecommunications service provider, MTN has begun a network upgrade that will gulp $ 1.3 billion (N 204 billion) in order to improve it’s capacity and quality of service.

The technical partners assisting MTN with the project include Ericsson, Huawei Technologies, and ZTE Corp of China.

MTN’s Corporate Services Executive, Akinwale Goodluck disclosed to journalists yesterday in Lagos that the company was modernizing its network.

He said, ““The network modernisation and swap-out project is part of the $1.3bn investment we have earmarked for 2012, and this investment, like many we have consistently made since our inception, is in pursuit of world-class quality of service on our network. We are delighted that this project brings us within a grasping distance of the mark.”

As part of its upgrade exercis, MTN aims to add 3,000 new base stations to the existing 7,000 bringing the total number to 10,000 by the end of 2013.

Goodluck said that the upgrade would affect subscribers quality of service whilst it is being carried out, however upon completion of the project, the subscribers would reap immense benefits.

In order to curtail the negative impact on service quality, Goodluck says majority of the work will be carried out at night.