What's Happening?
MTN South Africa, in collaboration with Ericsson, has completed a significant upgrade of its core network infrastructure, enhancing its 5G capabilities. The modernization project involved deploying Ericsson's cloud-native packet core and user management functions, which are part of Ericsson's dual-mode 5G core solution. This upgrade aims to reduce latency, improve data throughput, and enhance the overall user experience. The project also included a world-first in-service software upgrade of an Ericsson packet core gateway node, executed without disrupting active user sessions. MTN has also implemented Ericsson's cloud-native cloud core policy controller, enabling real-time dynamic policies for non-standalone 5G.
Why It's Important?
The completion of this modernization project is a critical step for MTN South Africa in enhancing its network infrastructure to support the growing demand for high-speed mobile data services. By upgrading to a more advanced 5G core, MTN can offer improved service quality and reliability, which is essential for maintaining competitiveness in the telecommunications market. This development also lays the groundwork for future advancements, such as the potential rollout of a 5G standalone core, which could further enhance network capabilities and service offerings.
Beyond the Headlines
The successful execution of this project without service disruption highlights the technical expertise and collaboration between MTN and Ericsson. It also underscores the importance of continuous innovation and investment in network infrastructure to meet evolving consumer demands and technological advancements. This modernization could set a precedent for other telecom operators looking to enhance their 5G networks, potentially influencing industry standards and practices.
