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Strides Ahead: How 5G will Become the New Frontier of Sports

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Kevin Murphy

Sports fans are a passionate breed and whether they’re at the match or on their couches, they demand the full experience. For fans, and athletes alike, leading technologies enrich the sporting experience, bringing people closer to the action, and creating new immersive ways to showcase the commitment, excitement, and teamwork of sports.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a growth in digital experiences which may become permanent. The increase in virtual events is raising the bar for the quality and design of the experience, with audiences becoming increasingly sophisticated, demanding a more social, innovative and engaging event.

To transform the digital experience for fans, players and support staff alike, three main types of support is required: a sports performance information system; a digital experience backend system; and technology consulting and innovation services.

The combination of 5G, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) supports completely new user experiences in sports – pushing boundaries and taking the consumer to the heart of the game itself. For a team playing before a packed stadium or a lonesome runner on a forest track, connectivity and mobility enable new values in an emerging internet of sport.

This is where 5G can be a vital tool for the sports sector, as it seeks to re-invent the fan experience at home and at the sports arena. Sporting events could better serve both the traveling fan attending every game in person and the die-hard fan catching the game remotely.

In this age of digital and mobile consumption, fans expect an experience boosted by their mobile devices. Through live-streaming video, mixed reality experiences and real-time access to information about the game, the next generation in mobile wireless technology can create an enhanced experience, reinventing how fans participate in sports.

Immersive Sporting Experiences at Home

Sports fans today are looking for new ways to connect to the sporting experience digitally. There is potential to create more immersive fan experiences with the introduction of 360-degree cameras, virtual and augmented reality. Fans can walk the sideline, see what the goalkeepers are seeing or join the victory celebration in the locker room – all serving the purpose of bringing fans closer to the action at the venue from home.

What’s more, the trend of increased solitary viewing due to the development of personal screens and on-demand viewing could be reversed thanks to the capabilities and promises of Virtual Reality (VR). It can provide a way to connect with friends watching the game at different physical locations, creating a “virtual hangout” for the times you can’t be there in person.

VR also brings an exciting prospect to the table: the ability to watch 4K/UHD content without owning a big physical screen and allowing on-demand viewing to become more of a social activity than it is today. Soon, friends and people with similar interests can watch content together in a VR living room, viewers will have the freedom to look anywhere in every scene of a movie and consumers can experience a football match with other fans in a VR arena, as if they are actually there.

And for sports fans in areas that don’t have access to fiber coverage, 5G enables fixed wireless access applications for very high-quality video streaming in 4K video, 360 or AR/VR formats.

This means that you get to watch the 4K video on your mobile device. But 5G is also so fast and so reliable that it will make fixed wireless a real challenger in the broadband market, streaming 4K video wirelessly to your big screen TV as well. And it’s not just the quality either. You’ll be able to choose what camera angles you like, or if you want information overlaid on the screen, or if you want to watch in VR or not.

Creating the Connected Stadium

A great experience at the arena is fundamental to enjoying live sports. Where fans today see broadband connectivity to their smartphone for social media posts as table stakes, there is so much more that could be done digitally to connect fans to the action. This is an area where 5G can improve the overall experience, compared to standard WIFI solutions.

5G can expand the experience for fans at the game, creating new possibilities by connecting sensors in balls, goals, and even players – all in real-time with extremely low latency. The next generation technology can deliver enough capacity to the stadium for fans to stream high-quality video and share the views from their seats with others at the same match.

Other future changes coming to the fan experience with 5G connectivity include the ability to experience matches from new vantage points, using phones to switch between different 360-degree, ultra-high definition virtual reality cameras filming all around the stadium.

The introduction of 5G at a stadium also creates a horizontal platform to serve additional applications. Fans would be able to monitor and track athletes’ performance during practice and competition in real time, for example. This represents a major opportunity for service providers to deliver enhanced networks in stadiums and arenas to ensure their subscribers are well connected.

Kevin Murphy is Vice President and Head of Ericsson Levant Countries and Global Customer Unit Ooredoo


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Dimension Data Nigeria Secures ₦20Billion Funding to Strengthen Digital Infrastructure

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Dimension Data Nigeria has raised ₦20 billion (approximately $13.7 million) through a bond programme under Dimension Data SPV Funding Plc, following approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria.

This initiative aims to strengthen Nigeria’s digital infrastructure by addressing gaps in fibre coverage, limited enterprise connectivity, and increasing demand for cloud, fintech, digital services, and Artificial Intelligence.

The integrated IT solutions provider stated that the capital will be used to fund long-term investments in expanding network capacity, enhancing resilience, and supporting carrier-grade and enterprise services as data consumption continues to accelerate nationwide.

Speaking at a documentation and regulatory clearances event in Lagos, managing director, Gbenga Olabiyi, said sustained infrastructure investment is critical to maintaining competitiveness and enabling future growth.

He noted that strategic upgrades would help future-proof operations, reduce service disruptions, and allow the company to scale efficiently as business and consumer demand for cloud, fintech, and other digital services intensifies.

The bond programme is backed by private equity firm Mbavaa Partners Limited, whose managing partner, Shatse Kakwagh, described the transaction as a milestone that unlocks long-term capital for expansion.

He highlighted that strong ratings and an oversubscribed first issuance show investor confidence in Dimension Data’s execution and growth potential.

The fundraising comes as Nigeria confronts persistent infrastructure gaps, including limited metro and last-mile fibre coverage and rising enterprise connectivity needs.

Government intends to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre nationwide under Project Bridge aim to expand internet penetration and lower access costs.

 


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MTN Nigeria Posts Record N1.70 Trillion Pre‑Tax Profit, Declares N20 Dividend for 2025

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MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has recorded a landmark turnaround in 2025, posting a pre‑tax profit of N1.70 trillion, reversing a loss of N550.3 billion in 2024 as the company emerged from a rough patch driven largely by foreign exchange volatility.

MTN Nigeria Posts Record N1.70 Trillion Pre‑Tax Profit, Declares N20 Dividend for 2025

MTN Nigeria

The telecom giant said the performance reflects a “significant turning point” in its corporate and financial trajectory, underpinned by improved macroeconomic conditions, strong service‑revenue growth, and tightening operational efficiency.

Profitability, Revenue, and Dividend

For the full year 2025, MTN Nigeria reported profit after tax of N1.11 trillion, compared with a loss after tax of N400.4 billion in 2024, while earnings per share rose to N53.07 from a negative N19.05 a year earlier.

Total revenue grew 54.9% year‑on‑year to N5.20 trillion, with service revenue up 55.1% to N5.17 trillion, driven mainly by data, voice, and fintech services.

The company’s board proposed a final cash dividend of N15 per share, bringing the total dividend for the 2025 financial year to N20 per share. Dividends will be paid electronically to shareholders on the register as of April 8, 2026, subject to completed e‑dividend mandates.

This payout is one of the largest single‑year dividends in Nigerian corporate history, signalling strong cash‑flow generation and management confidence in the company’s earnings quality.

Fourth‑Quarter Momentum and Customer Base

MTN Nigeria’s fourth‑quarter performance was particularly robust, with pre‑tax profit surging 248.8% year‑on‑year to N569.6 billion, compared with N163.3 billion in Q4 2024.

The company’s mobile subscriber base reached 87.3 million at year‑end, up 7.9% from the previous year, reinforcing its position as Nigeria’s largest telecom operator by subscribers.

Active data users grew by 11.6% to 53.2 million, and smartphone penetration rose to 66.1%, reflecting the deepening shift toward data‑driven services and digital lifestyles among Nigerians.

Data, Fintech, and Voice Growth

Data was the biggest growth driver, with data revenue up 74.5% to N2.78 trillion and data traffic increasing 34.0%, amid rising demand for mobile broadband and video streaming.

Voice revenue also climbed strongly, rising 42.1% to N1.85 trillion as tariffs and usage patterns adjusted to more stable exchange‑rate conditions.

Fintech revenue surged 79.7% to N191.3 billion, underscoring the rapid expansion of MTN Nigeria’s mobile money ecosystem and the growing role of digital financial inclusion in the country’s economy.

Cost Management and EBITDA Leap

Operating leverage improved markedly, with cost of sales rising 30.3% and operating expenses up 16.7%, both growth rates below the 55% revenue expansion.

EBITDA jumped 108.9% to N2.74 trillion, lifting the company’s EBITDA margin into the mid‑to‑high 50% range, ahead of its prior guidance.

Management attributed the improvement to a more stable foreign‑exchange market, moderated inflation, and sustained demand for data and digital services, as well as disciplined cost control.

FX Recovery and Capital Expenditure

Foreign exchange performance was a major swing factor: MTN Nigeria recorded a net FX gain of N90.3 billion in 2025, compared with a N925.4 billion FX loss in 2024.

The turnaround followed settlement of outstanding letters of credit and a deliberate reduction in dollar‑denominated exposure, which helped insulate earnings from earlier currency shocks.

Capital expenditure excluding leases rose 126.2% to N1.00 trillion, as the company invested heavily in network capacity, coverage, and digital infrastructure, including fibre rollout and 4G/LTE upgrades.

Despite the higher capex, free cash flow soared 215.5% to N1.2 trillion, indicating that the expansion is being funded internally without straining the balance sheet.

Balance Sheet and Shareholder Value

The company’s balance sheet strengthened materially, with total assets up 28.7% to N5.40 trillion and shareholders’ equity turning positive after several years in deficit.

Shareholders’ funds rose 219.8% to N548.7 billion, while retained earnings closed at N400.4 billion, compared with negative N607.5 billion in December 2024.

In the stock market, MTN Nigeria’s shares recently traded around N760, making it the most capitalised company on the Nigerian Exchange with a market valuation of about N16 trillion.

The stock has gained 33% in February 2026 alone, taking year‑to‑date returns to 49%, following a 155.5% rally in 2025, which investors see as a vote of confidence in the company’s turnaround story.

Outlook and Strategic Guidance

Management maintains a medium‑term service‑revenue growth guidance of at least low‑20% annually, underpinned by ongoing data and fintech expansion as well as gradual price adjustments.

The group has also revised its EBITDA margin guidance upward to the mid‑to‑high 50% range, signalling sustained profitability even as the company continues to invest in network and digital infrastructure.

Analysts note that MTN Nigeria’s 2025 performance not only restores investor confidence but also sets a benchmark for other Nigerian corporates navigating FX‑linked risks and regulatory uncertainty.


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Telecom Giant MTN Injects N1.0 Trillion CAPEX into Network Expansion

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In a bold move to future-proof Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, MTN Nigeria embarked on a massive N1.0 trillion Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) drive, backed by its record-breaking 2025 financial performance.

Telecom Giant MTN Injects N1.0 Trillion CAPEX into Network Expansion

MTN

The company’s audited results revealed a historic 108.9% increase in EBITDA to N2.7 trillion and a 215.5% rise in free cash flow to N1.2 trillion, providing the exact financial muscle necessary for this aggressive network expansion.

According to the firm’s strategic blueprint, without the ability to generate strong returns, the N1.0 trillion CAPEX required to maintain the network and deploy advanced technologies would simply not exist.

This accelerated network investment is already yielding significant dividends in consumer usage and reliability. The 2025 results showed a massive 74.5% surge in data revenue alongside a 42.1% increase in voice revenue. Furthermore, active data subscribers grew by 11.6% to hit 53.2 million, underscoring the robust commercial momentum and the continuous public demand for high-quality internet services powered by fresh CAPEX.

Speaking on the company’s trajectory, CEO Karl Olutokun Toriola confirmed that the restoration of positive retained earnings and a highly resilient balance sheet directly supported this accelerated network investment.

He said: “2025 marked a significant turning point in our business performance, with a return to profitability, stronger free cash flow, and the restoration of positive retained earnings and shareholders’ funds, enabling the resumption of dividend payments.

“Our balance sheet resilience – underpinned by robust operating performance, disciplined capital allocation, and reduced foreign currency exposure – supported accelerated network investment to enhance quality of service and user experience, positioning us to sustain growth and deliver attractive long term shareholder returns.”

The company continues to position this N1.0 trillion infrastructure spending as a cornerstone of its economic patriotism. As the largest corporate taxpayer, MTN noted that its heavy investments directly support government digital infrastructure ambitions and social welfare whilst stimulating the local tech ecosystem.


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