Uganda Races Towards a Hyper-Connected Future as MTN Pilots Groundbreaking 5.5G Technology

East Africa is on the cusp of a new era of digital connectivity as MTN Uganda proudly announces the successful piloting of 5.5G technology, a significant leap forward that promises to redefine the nation’s digital landscape. This landmark demonstration, showcased at MTN’s headquarters in Kampala, solidifies Uganda’s position at the forefront of technological innovation in the region and reaffirms MTN’s unwavering commitment to the country’s digital future.

The 5.5G pilot, also known as 5 G-Advanced, marks a monumental progression from the telecom giant’s pioneering 5G demonstration five years ago. It offers a compelling glimpse into a future characterised by unprecedented hyper-connectivity, ultra-low latency, and highly intelligent digital systems – a vision perfectly aligned with MTN Uganda’s ambitious “Ambition 2025” strategy, which champions accelerated digital inclusion and national innovation.

Philip Katongole, MTN Uganda’s Radio Planning Manager, underscored the transformative potential of this technological evolution. “To the customer, 5.5G means bolder digital inclusion,” Katongole asserted. “It builds on the foundational benefits of 5G, such as faster speeds and reliable access to high-definition streaming and online gaming, but elevates them significantly. We are now talking about real-time broadband communication, ultra-low latency of less than 1 millisecond, and the capacity to connect over a million devices per square kilometre.”

These advanced capabilities unlock a plethora of possibilities, paving the way for groundbreaking applications such as smart cities, the advent of driverless cars, the seamless integration of AI-generated content, and sophisticated industrial automation. The implications for various sectors across Uganda, including agriculture, education, healthcare, and manufacturing, are profound, promising enhanced productivity, real-time communication, and data-driven solutions that can catalyse economic modernisation.

Notably, 5.5G is designed to be ten times faster than its 5G predecessor, offering substantial improvements in network performance, efficiency, and overall functionality. While advanced markets like China are already witnessing the commercialisation of 5.5G, MTN Uganda’s pilot places it among a select global group of telecommunications companies actively preparing for potential deployment.

Bibian Amito, a Graduate Trainee in Radio Planning at MTN Uganda, expressed optimism regarding the potential rollout speed of 5.5G. “Internally, the engineering team is ready,” Amito commented. “We’re just aligning timelines, budgets, and commercial readiness, suggesting that a full rollout might be faster than that of 5G, given our current infrastructure and strategic planning.”

This pioneering 5.5G pilot is an integral component of a broader, extensive network investment strategy across the MTN Group. MTN Uganda is actively contributing through its unified cloud core modernisation plan, strategic fibre network expansion, and comprehensive infrastructure upgrades nationwide. The company recently launched a new fibre route to boost connectivity and is upgrading its transport network, with access sites scaling to 100 Gbps and backbone links reaching an impressive 400 Gbps, anticipating significant future data demand.

Katongole highlighted the considerable work undertaken since 5.5G’s global standardisation in 2023, including critical upgrades to access and transport networks and the modernisation of cloud infrastructure, all meticulously laying the groundwork for a future commercial launch.

Thomas Motlepa, MTN Uganda’s Chief Technical and Information Officer, extended his gratitude to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) for their invaluable support. He emphasised that the successful 5.5G Proof of Concept would not have been possible without the UCC’s “consistent support and forward-thinking regulatory environment,” underscoring the crucial role of collaborative efforts in driving technological advancement.

As Uganda embraces this next generation of connectivity, the piloting of 5.5G stands as a powerful testament to the nation’s ambitious digital transformation agenda, promising a future of unprecedented growth and innovation for all Ugandans.