MTN has began deploying antennas on street light poles to expand its network coverage in South Africa
The South African-based telecom firm reportedly considers this new approach an innovative ways to address the difficulty experienced in installing conventional base stations between tight clusters of buildings at Johannesburg.
Eben Albertyn, CEO of MTN South Africa, said that the number of poles to be installed will depend heavily on the clusters of clients, adding that customers will experience noticeable difference in service quality once the project is completed by year end. “The second phase of the project will be determined by customer requirements,” Albertyn noted.
According to Ventures Africa report, the launch follows a three-year contract it had signed with Johannesburg’s municipal electricity distributor City Power in January 2014 to use street poles as network towers.
The project is expected to lay a firm foundation for future deployment of a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network.
