MTN Group and ODC to develop ORAN solutions for Africa

MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, and the ORAN Development Company (ODC) have agreed a strategic partnership through which they say they will develop and test innovative open RAN (ORAN) solutions tailored to unique requirements of networks across Africa.

Specific information on the activities and aims of the ODC does not seem to be easily available. However, an MTN press release says that ODC and MTN Group are launching joint lab innovative initiatives to test true ORAN solutions, enhancing network agility, scalability, and efficiency.

As part of this initiative, the partners plan to conduct lab and field trials, ensuring optimised performance and seamless integration into MTN Group’s existing network infrastructure.

MTN Group will also guide ODC in optimising ORAN software and platform development with artificial intelligence to streamline opex across the network. The partnership will also focus on cutting-edge research and development in 6G and non-terrestrial communications, incorporating these advancements into ODC’s ORAN stack.

This collaboration, says MTN, supports its commitment to provide affordable, high-quality telecommunications throughout the continent, with advanced open RAN architectures enabling greater network flexibility.

Indeed Amith Maharaj, MTN Group Network Design and Planning Executive, says: “Open RAN represents a transformative approach to how we design and operate our infrastructure – enhancing flexibility, driving cost efficiencies, and paving the way for next-generation technologies,” adding: “Through our collaboration with ODC, we are unlocking new possibilities to expand our reach, improve service quality, and empower the communities and businesses we serve.”

Although ORAN has not yet been widely adopted, it is very much in the news. Earlier this week we noted that Saudi Arabia's Aramco Digital was widely reported to be in talks to invest about US$1 billion in open RAN innovator Mavenir.