Interview: Giovanni Chiarelli on MTN's 5G trial

Loading player...
Thank for listening to the TechCentral podcast. In this episode, Duncan McLeod talks to MTN South Africa chief technology and information officer Giovanni Chiarelli about the operator’s 5G trial.
In the podcast, Chiarelli explains why MTN conducted the trial and what it learnt from it.
He explores the road to 5G, and the challenges that still need to overcome – in both the global and South African context.
What frequencies will 5G use, how will it be deployed, who will use it and how much will it cost? Chiarelli answers all these questions, and more.
He talks about what MTN achieved in its 5G trial, which it conducted in partnership with network equipment manufacturer Ericsson, and what the future holds for the technology.
He explains why network function virtualisation, or NFV, is key to 5G and what it means for the deployment of connectivity as a service in the cloud.
Chiarelli also talks about the spectrum challenges that MTN and other operators face in South Africa. Also, he goes into detail about when the first 5G handsets are likely to reach the market.
It’s an excellent insight into the future of the mobile industry. Don’t dare miss it!
17 Jan 2018 English South Africa Technology · Business

Other recent episodes

TCS | Maziv goes massive: CEO Dietlof Mare on Vumatel’s big roll-out plans

Maziv, the company that owns Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa, plans to spend R12-billion over the next five years as its ramps its deployment of fibre infrastructure across South Africa. Poised for a big injection of cash and assets from Vodacom, which is buying a 30% co-controlling stake in the…
26 Aug 52 min

TCS+ | Arctic Wolf on cybersecurity in the age of AI

What does it really take to defend a business in an era of AI-driven attacks? In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+ ,Clare Loveridge, vice president and GM for Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea), and Johnny Ellis, senior director of Emea channel sales, both at Arctic Wolf, go beyond the…
25 Aug 33 min

TCS | The story behind Nedbank’s R1.65-billion iKhokha deal

Nedbank announced last week that it was acquiring Durban-based fintech iKhokha in a R1.65-billion deal that could signal the start of further consolidation in the payments industry in South Africa. Nedbank described the deal as a “significant milestone” in its strategy to target small and medium enterprises. iKhokha co-founder and…
22 Aug 26 min

TCS+ | Kinetic Skunk: fintechs risk cloud bill shock without proper planning

Fintechs choose cloud technologies in the hopes that the efficiency and scalability of cloud computing will give them a competitive advantage. But cloud adoption is no silver bullet. If done incorrectly, a migration to the cloud can cause costs to balloon instead of decreasing them, leading to frustration and even…
21 Aug 37 min

TCS | Alan Knott-Craig unveils Fibertime’s big bet on township fibre

Alan Knott-Craig’s new fibre internet business has been flying below the radar for some time now, but the serial telecommunications entrepreneur has finally unpacked his plans for the business. Speaking to the TechCentral Show this week, Knott-Craig – who has led a range of well-known tech businesses, including Mxit, World…
15 Aug 22 min