After skipping Nigeria to launch 4G LTE mobile services in Rwanda, MTN’s next stop is Ghana. The telecoms giant finalized payment in January for the 4G 800MHz FDD spectrum license it secured for $67.5 million in December 2015.
Mohammed Rufai, MTN Ghana’s Chief Technical Officer, described 4G LTE as ‘transformational’. “4G LTE is 5 to 10 times faster than 3G. This means faster internet download and upload speeds. Overall, the data experience of MTN subscribers is improved significantly.”
Rufai also said the company had no plans to change its current data rates. “Instead, we are offering subscribers a much longer speed and 100% bonus on any bundle they purchased. The 4G LTE enables you to watch television, shop online and download faster.”
Ghana’s telecommunications industry is growing rapidly with mobile voice phone penetration approaching 120% and data penetration exceeding 62%. This growth is expected to increase in the coming years as consumers and businesses move towards increased use of smart-phones and other smart devices.
With the growth of smart devices, the demand for bandwidth and high speed capabilities will also increase as subscribers exchange, download and upload more videos, music and documents and use mobile applications that are bandwidth intensive. Access to affordable 4G technology will enhance the experience of these subscribers.
The promise of LTE is enormous, the benefits to individuals and businesses are immeasurable. The core of the discussion must focus on the subscriber and the benefits brought to the user.
With the availability of the 800MHz spectrum that comes with MTN purchasing Visafone and the integration of about 2,140,299 Visafone subscribers into MTN, we probably will receive news of MTN launching 4th Generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) services in Nigeria soon.
Image credit: Geoffery Tsatsu
