MTN South Africa, in collaboration with Ericsson, has achieved groundbreaking milestones in its core network modernization, marking global and African firsts in telecommunications innovation.
The operator has become the first worldwide to implement an In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) on an Ericsson Packet Core Gateway (PCG) node with a collocated Packet Core Firewall, seamlessly handling 2.52 million active user sessions and 40 Gbps of data without interruption.
Additionally, MTN South Africa is the first in Africa to execute an automated ISSU on a production PCG node, reinforcing its leadership in cloud-native infrastructure.
The modernization, aligned with MTN Group’s Unified Cloud Acceleration (MUNA) principles, leverages Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core solution and Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution (CNIS).
This upgrade enhances South Africa’s mobile infrastructure by reducing latency, boosting data throughput, and improving user experience with reliable, seamless connectivity. MTN South Africa also completed a Container-as-a-Service (CaaS) rolling upgrade on its Cloud Container Distribution (CCD), managing approximately 2 million active sessions with zero downtime, showcasing the robustness of its cloud-native systems.
ALSO READ: DEUTSCHE TELEKOM GERMANY’S 5G NETWORK WITH UPGRADES
A key component of this transformation is the deployment of Ericsson’s cloud-native Cloud Core Policy Controller (CCPC), configured as a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)—a first in Africa. The CCPC enables real-time dynamic policies for 5G non-standalone networks and supports the Policy Control Function (PCF) for future 5G standalone core readiness.
This evolution enhances flexibility, scalability, and operational efficiency, allowing MTN South Africa to transform legacy policy control systems and drive digital transformation.
Solomzi Mnyaka, General Manager of Network Services Engineering & L2 Support at MTN South Africa, emphasized the significance of this milestone: “This core network modernization marks a pivotal step in building a future-ready network. Ericsson’s cloud-native solutions enable us to respond swiftly to customer needs, launch services with agility, and streamline operations through automation.”
Sandile Dhlomo, Head of Ericsson South Africa, added: “This transformation supports MTN’s shift to a scalable, resilient, cloud-native core, aligning with our #AfricaInMotion vision for sustainable connectivity across the continent.”
