This news means that consumers will have more choice when buying access to the fibre network, as this brings MTN in line with competitors like Vumatel and Openserve.
In a statement the company said: “ISPs that sign a wholesale service agreement with MTN will be able to lease a fibre broadband connection from the optical network terminal within the home, linking to a network-to-network interface, established with MTN in any Teraco data centre. The ISPs will then provide the fibre connectivity, internet and other value-added services to their customers via MTN’s wholesale broadband fibre connection.”
The open network access also includes the Smart Village fibre that was acquired by MTN in 2015. The company confirmed that, Smart Village’s fibre will also be made available on the same terms and conditions, once the access network upgrade and integration into MTN’s network has been completed.
Speaking on this news, John Lewis, chief officer for managed network services at MTN, said: “Open access networks remain one of the critical pillars of our converged strategy. This will also stimulate competition amongst service providers, lower the costs for subscribers, and reduce the barriers to entry for new service providers entering the market.”
