Telecom
Telcos Accelerate Standalone 5G Deployment to Meet COVID-19 Induced Demand- GlobalData
Internet has emerged as a critical lifeline for people and businesses across the world in 2020 as the COVID-19 crisis led to the rise in remote working, virtual schooling, online socializing and at-home digital entertainment, placing an unprecedented burden on the existing communication networks.
Against this backdrop, telecom companies are using the opportunity to fast-track standalone (SA) 5G deployments by swiftly scaling their existing non-standalone (NSA) 5G assets, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Venkata Naveen, senior disruptive tech analyst at GlobalData, commented: “All the 5G rollouts by telecom companies pre-COVID have been NSA deployments with enhanced data-bandwidth and reliable connectivity through the existing 4G network infrastructure. However, COVID-19 has forced them to rapidly shift from NSA 5G networks to standalone 5G to meet the increasing demand.”
An analysis of GlobalData’s Disruptor Intelligence Center reveals how major telecom companies have fared with SA 5G rollouts in response to COVID-19.
T-Mobile rolled out world’s first nationwide SA 5G network in the US. Though the company rolled out 600 MHz 5G networks last year, it was based on the non-standalone architecture.
With the shift to SA 5G, the operator expanded its network coverage to over 250 million population and reduced latency by 40%.
AT&T made its SA 5G network available nationwide in the US, making it the country’s second major carrier after T-Mobile to achieve the milestone.
The network is now available to 205 million consumers in 395 regions across the US.
Verizon completed its first trial for end-to-end data transmission successfully over its SA 5G network.
It plans to start shifting mobile traffic from the NSA by the end of 2020 with full commercialization in 2021.
Vodafone launched the UK’s first live SA 5G deployment at Coventry University.
The network will initially be used to boost training outcomes of student nurses using virtual reality.
The move comes a year after the operator launched commercial 5G based on non-standalone (NSA) network technology.
In the rest of the world, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom have started upgrading their existing network infrastructure to SA 5G; Ericsson in Europe plans to switch to SA 5G in 2021.
Mr Naveen concluded: “Bandwidth usage per average customer has increased since the COVID-19 outbreak. The need for high-speed Internet connectivity is becoming quintessential now more than ever with an intertwined virtual and physical presence, where demand for remote work, education, healthcare and e-commerce is increasing. The COVID-19 era can be seen as an early beneficiary of the SA 5G, which is essential to unleash the best of 5G. Looking forward, the SA 5G networks have the potential to unveil many direct-to-consumer use cases that have never been possible before.”
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
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