• MTN and Huawei have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a a Joint Innovation Technology Lab.
• The Lab will be created at MTN’s headquarters in South Africa.
• It will serve as a “neutral platform for collaboration” to accelerate the development, deployment and adoption of digital solutions.

This week at Mobile World Congress 2024, delegates from MTN and Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the creation of a Joint Innovation Technology Lab focused on the African continent.

In a release shared with Hypertext, the MoU seeks to outline a strategic partnership that will see the Innovation Technology Lab created at MTN Group‘s headquarters in South Africa. 

“The lab will serve as a neutral platform for collaboration within the Africa’s digital ecosystem, accelerating the development, deployment and adoption of innovative digital solutions driven across the continent,” the telecoms giant confirmed.

“Together, the two companies will leverage this initiative to focus their research and development efforts on key areas such as 5G and beyond, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data analytics, cloud computing, and digital financial services. The partnership aims to accelerate the time-to-market of MTN’s products and services while addressing the unique challenges faced in Africa, including improving network coverage in rural areas, enhancing energy efficiency, and affordability,” it added.

The pair have already partnered on a number of telecommunications solutions in recent years, with the most notable of late being the rollout of 5G in selected regions across the African continent. Now they will look to design more solutions and roll out additional technologies that specifically address connectivity problems in Africa.

“We believe that collaboration is essential for developing solutions that truly meet the continent’s needs, and this Lab will pave the way for a more inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous future for Africa,” said Group chief technology and information officer, Mazen Mroue, regarding the MoU.

“We believe that this newly-established lab will help supercharge both MTN’s R&D as well as Africa’s digital economy, bringing more prosperity to the African continent,” added Li Peng, Huawei’s Corporate SVP and president of ICT Sales and Service.