Mobile operator MTN said on 23 July 2019 it is considering renovation of its telecoms sites across South Africa to operate the NarrowBand – Internet of Things, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) radio technology for connecting devices.

This announcement which comes a few days after Vodacom officially launched its IoT products range, reflects MTN’s ambition to enter this high-potential market segment.

Giovanni Chiarelli (photo), the Chief Information Officer, says in addition to the reorganization of its telecom sites, MTN also wants to adopt the software-defined Wide-Area Network (SD-WAN) technology; a technology that will create resilient and high-performance corporate networks that can support the company's IoT ambitions and digitization plan.

According to Chiarelli, “cutting-edge solutions like these are opening the door to an array of exciting new opportunities for businesses in today’s fast-paced digital economy.”

This investment is “providing a powerful platform from which new solutions can be rolled out, both now and into the future” and is proof “of our vision which is translated into exceptional performance numbers and improved network experience for our customers.”