MTN Group, recognized as Africa’s largest telecommunications service provider, has announced a strategic partnership with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to enhance the quality and reliability of voice and video calls on real-time communication applications, including WhatsApp. This collaboration will impact 12 of MTN’s operational markets across the continent.
In a statement released this morning, MTN outlined the objectives of this partnership, emphasizing the goal of optimizing both application-aware networks and network-aware applications. The primary aim is to deliver a smoother, more stable, and high-quality user experience for customers utilizing real-time calling features.
MTN highlighted that this collaboration is set to significantly enhance the real-time calling experience in the designated 12 markets. The partnership will focus on identifying specific areas that require improvement and implementing targeted measures to address these needs effectively.
Since the Mobile World Congress 2024, teams from MTN and Meta have been actively collaborating to pinpoint critical areas for enhancement. They have been working on deploying targeted network optimizations that improve the interaction between mobile networks and real-time calling applications, all while ensuring efficient traffic delivery.
The telecom giant further elaborated that through the utilization of data analytics and extensive testing, they have successfully developed and rolled out solutions that markedly enhance the quality of experience for mobile users.
Nigeria has been identified as the first market to benefit from these enhancements. Early results from the implementation in Nigeria indicate significant improvements in key performance indicators (KPIs), with reports of a 50% enhancement in call quality, leading to a notably better user experience for MTN Nigeria’s mobile subscribers.
MTN, which boasts a customer base of 288 million across 18 markets, derives 40% of its total earnings from Nigeria, making it a crucial component of the group’s revenue stream.
Yahaya Ibrahim, the Chief Technology Officer at MTN Nigeria, expressed enthusiasm about the implementation, stating, “This initiative further underscores our commitment to enhancing our customers’ digital experience. We are pleased with the remarkable improvements in our real-time communication services, which reflect our dedication to providing innovative solutions for our customers.”
Diego Marí, the head of network ecosystems engineering at Meta, added, “This collaboration enables us to deploy advanced solutions that provide an unparalleled real-time experience in Nigeria. It showcases our commitment to elevating service quality and improving user experience while striving for continued efficiency in traffic delivery.”
