MTN South Africa and ZTE announced that they have provided Africa's first 5G Ultra-range maritime offshore coverage at Mossel Bay, Western Cape, which promises enhanced maritime connectivity while benefiting tourism and boosting the economic prospects of local fishermen. MTN stated that this achievement delivers more than 210 Mbps throughput at 22 km from the shore.
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Benefits for Local Industries
This enhanced connectivity will benefit fisheries, shipping, tourism, sea rescue, and marine research by improving operational efficiency and data transmission while supporting marine ecological protection through advanced 5G services like live streaming and video applications.
5G Ultra Maritime Coverage
MTN South Africa said, "By launching Africa's first 5G maritime network in South Africa, MTN is setting a new benchmark in connectivity. This innovation not only strengthens our position as a leader in digital transformation but also opens up new horizons for economic growth and technological advancement across the continent."
MTN emphasised that the deployment of 5G Ultra Maritime Coverage is a strategic part of its broader initiative to leverage technology for socio-economic development.
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Enhancing Safety and Efficiency
According to the official release, the deployment of 5G Ultra Maritime Coverage will support applications such as real-time vessel tracking, advanced navigation systems, and remote monitoring, contributing to safer and more efficient maritime operations.
Local fishermen will benefit from improved access to weather forecasts, market prices, and communication tools. This will enable better planning, enhance safety, and open new opportunities for direct sales and global market access, thereby improving their economic stability, MTN explained.
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"Our 5G network covers 44 percent of the South African population, a steady increase of 19 percent from last year's 25 percent coverage. Our focus going forward is to deploy more 5G—we have already rolled out 900 new 5G sites in 2024," MTN South Africa concluded.
