It was at the seas off Mossel Bay in Western Cape that MTN South Africa together with ZTE Corporation made history by rolling out the first ultra-high-coverage maritime 5G network in Africa able to take high-speed connectivity more than 22 km offshore (TechAfrica News).
The solution is able to perform above 210 Mbps in multi-user scenarios—and up to 116.9 Mbps for single users—definitely ushering new frontiers within maritime communication (communicationsafrica.com).
Land Connectivity plus other Infrastructure. Utilizing the low-band 800 MHz spectrum, MTN aggregated frequencies with other LTE bands in a 5G set-up to send signals well beyond port boundaries. Coverage is reliable way offshore- better than anything before due to advanced active antenna arrays (AAUs) and ZTE radio access ingenuity (TechAfrica News).
This would not be an implementation of technology for the sake of technology in the maritime sector—it intends to transform quite a few sectors. For fishing, this ultra-high-range network would mean provisioning real-time weather data, market information, and communication tools—safety and market reach at the same time. Tourism operators, marine researchers, and maritime rescue services see high-definition streaming, remote monitoring, and live safety monitoring applications opened up by bringing land-based coverage out to sea.
Local economic empowerment is central: fisherfolk, research groups, and operators now have digital means to access the world market, plan their trips well, and beat environmental risks all enabled by better connectivity. Leading Local Digital Transformation
With this launch, MTN’s network now catches up to about 44% of South Africa’s population with 5G—well up from 25% just a year ago—with 900 new 5G sites going live in 2024. This is “a new benchmark in connectivity,” opens “new horizons for economic growth and technological advancement across the continent,” said MTN CEO Charles Molapisi. In parallel, ZTE management highlights its focus on regionally customized solutions that are acting responsibly and efficiently tapping into maritime potential.
A driver to the African blue economy offshore of South Africa is in line with the broader vision from AU for a digitally connected continent and its pursuit of sustainable development programs, including tech-enabled LGBQ economic dev activities, maritime security, and environmental protection.
MTN and ZTE’s Maritime 5G Net is for Africa’s digital landscape. The efficient and reliable Net will now go deep into the coastal waters, thus revealing a new age when connectivity with its associated benefits to people does not stop at dry land.
