• MTN partners with Microsoft to roll out AI tools from 2026
  
• Copilot and Microsoft 365 to boost learning across MTN user devices
  
• MTN shifts toward digital inclusion, targeting youth and small businesses
  

African telecommunications group MTN announced a new collaboration with U.S. technology firm Microsoft Corp. on Monday. The partnership aims to give MTN users easier access to artificial intelligence (AI) learning tools, with the rollout scheduled to begin in 2026 across select MTN markets.

The initiative focuses on integrating Microsoft 365, including the Copilot AI assistant, across all devices such as computers, phones and tablets. Copilot is designed to help users search, write, communicate and collaborate. The project comes as MTN reaches 300 million customers.

Ralph Mupita, President and CEO of MTN Group, said Africa’s economic outlook will increasingly depend on people’s ability to take part fully in the digital economy. He added that the collaboration supports this direction, creating new opportunities for innovation that will shape the continent’s next phase of development.

MTN said the initiative marks a move beyond its traditional role as a connectivity provider, positioning the company as a key player in digital inclusion. The operator believes that making AI tools widely available will broaden access to online learning, particularly for students, young professionals, and small businesses seeking to improve productivity.

The collaboration follows a similar announcement by Google in September, when the company said it would make its advanced AI tool suite more accessible to students in eight African countries. Unlike MTN, Google has not partnered with a specific telecommunications operator for its deployment.

Adoni Conrad Quenum