MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, has announced its partnership with Open RAN Development Company to develop and test Open RAN (ORAN) solutions across the continent.
MTN Group is making investment in Open RAN solutions aiming at providing affordable, high-quality telecommunications throughout the continent, with advanced Open RAN architectures enabling greater network flexibility.
Open RAN Development Company is headquartered in Northern Virginia with operations in the UK and India.
MTN Group, headquartered in Johannesburg, operates in over 20 African and Middle Eastern countries, connecting more than 280 million customers.
ODC and MTN Group are launching joint lab innovative initiatives to test ORAN solutions, enhancing network agility, scalability, and efficiency. ODC and MTN Group will conduct lab and field trials, ensuring optimized performance and seamless integration into MTN Group’s existing network infrastructure.
MTN Group will guide ODC in optimizing ORAN software and platform development with artificial intelligence to streamline operational expenditure (Opex) across the network. The partnership will also focus on 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 Amith Maharaj, MTN Group Network Design and Planning Executive.
Matthew Johnson, CEO of ODC, said: “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.”
