PODCAST | MTN tech chief talks strategy

MTN’s technology strategy and investment is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. 

Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Mazen Mroué, group chief technology and information officer at MTN. 

MTN is Africa’s largest mobile operator with 288-million customers across 18 countries. 

Mroué is the person task with formulating and implementing the group’s technology investment across its various operating countries and businesses. 

He explains that a big part of the company’s work is to keep its network up to date with the latest technologies. In an age where consumers and businesses are using larger amounts of data, the focus is to get move traffic from 2G and 3G to 4G, LTE and 5G technology.

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Another piece of the strategy is to increase network coverage, a part of which is now being done through satellites. 

Mroué, who has been with MTN since 1998, explains that one big reason for the growth in low Earth orbiting LEO satellite use is the cost. The cost of transporting equipment into space is now much cheaper than it was decades ago, in part because space rockets are now more reusable, as shown by the likes of SpaceX. 

The discussion highlights the following: technology planning for MTN; deployment of 5G technology; closing coverage gaps in rural areas; the place of satellite; and artificial intelligence (AI). 

• Business Day Spotlight is a MultimediaLIVE Production. 

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