MTN South Africa is planning to invest R 7.1 billion in 2008 to improve and expand its current network.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a media function on Friday, MTN MD Tim Lowry said that the company has a strong focus on network expansion and capacity and will increasingly invest in serving its own transmission needs.<\/p>\n
MTN SA’s Chief Technology Officer Sameer Dave said that MTN is planning to increase their number of 2007 3G\/HSDPA sites by 50% in 2008. <\/p>\n
The increase in 3G\/HSDPA sites and customers mean much higher backhaul network demands, and here MTN is deploying its own metropolitan fibre network in Gauteng as well as a 5000 km national fibre network.<\/p>\n
Construction will start in August with an investment of between R 120 million and R 150 million for its metropolitan fibre network and R 1.2 to 1.5 billion for its national fibre network.<\/p>\n
To ensure adequate international capacity MTN is the largest investor in the EASSy submarine cable project while it is also in talks with partners to build a submarine cable system on the west coast of Africa.<\/p>\n