MTN South Africa and Ericsson have received a major award for their collaboration to launch 5G wireless service.
The honour comes just as Ericsson underscores the need for urgent deployment of 5G networks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Börje Ekholm, President, and CEO, Ericsson, who says the “humbling” pandemic has shown that wireless technologies will continue to play crucial roles in fuelling economic growth across the world.
Speaking at the Ericsson Capital Markets Day 2020, Ekholm says that “the execution on our focused strategy has delivered a turnaround which creates a robust base for the future and delivered global leadership in 5G today.”
According to him, “the Covid-19 pandemic is a humbling reminder that wireless connectivity fundamentally underpins future global growth and so urgent deployment is critical. It will support a global innovation opportunity for consumers and enterprise which touches every corner of our world and every sector of the economy. Our future value is inextricably linked to wider economic growth and we are well-positioned to play a lead role in the ecosystem of operators, businesses, and decision-makers on whose combined shoulders 5G’s full success rests.”
The Covid-19 pandemic is a humbling reminder that wireless connectivity fundamentally underpins future global growth and so urgent deployment is critical. It will support a global innovation opportunity for consumers and enterprise which touches every corner of our world and every sector of the economy.
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson
Meanwhile, MTN South Africa and Ericsson have won the Building a Better, More Inclusive, Digital World award at AfricaCom 2020 for their collaboration to launch 5G in South Africa.
Ericsson’s partnership with MTN South Africa dates back to 1994 with the deployment of MTN’s mobile system networks. Ever since then, the two companies’ partnership has continued to grow through building the ICT infrastructure of the country hand-in-hand, according to the Swedish equipment supplier.
Ericsson says its most recent collaboration has seen MTN South Africa going live with commercial 5G in Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth.
“The two partners’ commitment to South Africa is unwavering and together they were able to offer the country various telecom solutions from 2G all the way to 5G”, according to Ericsson.
In recognition of the significant contribution made by Africa’s tech community in the ongoing battle against COVID-19, and the critical role that tech will play in fueling Africa’s economic recovery, the AfricaCom 2020 categories fall under the central theme: building a better, more inclusive digital world.
According to organisers, the award recognizes organizations and initiatives that have made a significant contribution to helping build a more accessible and inclusive digital world and is presented to the nominees that have received the highest number of votes in the category.
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