Telecom operator MTN Benin officially launched the country’s first commercial 5G network on Friday, with initial services available in select areas of the port city of Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi.
At the launch ceremony, MTN Benin touted 5G’s potential role in accelerating digital transformation for enterprises and expanding digital services in Benin, especially in terms of streaming, video games and Internet of Things (IoT), according to the Ecofin news agency.
Bolaji Adeola, senior network manager at MTN Benin, also said 5G can enable smart agriculture and boost healthcare access with services like remote care and teleconsultation, as well as improve logistics services, the report said.
MTN’s business director Chary Doumbia said 5G services will expanded throughout Cotonou and the rest of the country “soon”, but gave no specific timeline for rollout plans.
According to Ecofin, MTN Benin’s 5G network is partially funded by a syndicated loan of XOF65 billion (US$103.8 million) it obtained in July from various regional financial institutions, including West African Development Bank (BOAD), Banque Atlantique, Société Générale, Banque Internationale pour l’Industrie et le Commerce (BIIC), and BGFI Bank.
In January this year, MTN Group pledged to invest US$215 million in infrastructure in Benin over the next three years after seeing positive results from 5G trials in the country.
According to the latest figures from Benin’s telcoms regulator ARCEP, MTN Benin was the biggest mobile operator in the country at the end of June 2024, with just over 11 million subscriptions – 6.1 million of which are active mobile Internet subscriptions.
