<\/p>\n
The MTN Group has set its sights on becoming the leader of home connectivity in the next three to five years.<\/p>\n
The telecom operator, which has reach across 19 markets on the African continent, says it wants to roll out fixed-wireless access and fibre-to-the-home to at least 20 million homes in the near-term. This would give it a substantial share of the market, roughly 30%.<\/p>\n
Currently, MTN has a footprint of 2.8 million homes connected on its network, excluding mobile broadband. This represents a 6% penetration of the market across Africa.<\/p>\n
The expansion plans are part of the group\u2019s Ambition 2030 strategy, which was again presented to investors at the company\u2019s capital markets day on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cHome is the next big structural opportunity,\u201d CEO Ralph Mupita said, at MTN\u2019s headquarters in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
Within the markets MTN operates in, it says there are between 70 million and 90 million homes without high-speed internet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see workloads moving more and more to the home,\u201d he added, punting a shift in the landscape.<\/p>\n
MTN says it will focus on South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda to scale up its reach almost 8 times, as household digitisation has grown over the past few years.<\/p>\n
It says it will use benchmarks from more advanced markets, including Asia, to help build a framework that can be replicated in new markets.<\/p>\n
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Source: MTN<\/p>\n
\u201cTo go from 2.8 to 20 million would need an operational engine that\u2019s working in peak performance, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re putting in place to deliver that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Press play<\/p>\n
Mupita added it\u2019s not enough to provide homes and mobile subscribers with data. The operator is now making a play for video streaming services as part of an aggressive push into online media.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to launch services, on top of that connectivity,\u201d he said, confirming the group\u2019s expansion into digital entertainment with the rollout of MTN One TV.<\/p>\n
The new entertainment proposition is \u201cdesigned to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets\u201d.<\/p>\n
The announcement comes at a time when streaming platforms navigate a tough environment.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Canal+ SA moved to discontinue the loss-making Showmax streaming service developed by South African pay-TV operator MultiChoice Group, which the French firm bought last year.<\/p>\n
Read:
Showmax to shut on 30 April
Canal+ makes strong JSE debut after MultiChoice deal<\/p>\n
Over the last four years, since relaunching Showmax in a venture with NBCUniversal, the business reported trading losses of over R10 billion. Much of this was being spent on content, with subscriber numbers and revenue not growing quickly enough.<\/p>\n
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Even so, MTN says it\u2019s upbeat about the streaming platform\u2019s prospects.<\/p>\n
Viewing models for MTN One TV are expected to vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.<\/p>\n
Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of you have read headlines that we\u2019re trying to compete with Netflix. That\u2019s far from truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see ourselves as very complementary, and we\u2019re going into the part of the market that\u2019s at a much lower price point but very focused on local content, bringing in African content creators and creating a platform for them to sell their products,\u201d Mupita explained to investors.<\/p>\n
Using South Africa and Zambia as a litmus test, the subscription cost for the streaming service could cost as little as R30.<\/p>\n
In SA, this is below the price point for other video streaming platforms, including Netflix.<\/p>\n
Read:
MTN finalising Nigeria, Uganda fintech spinoffs
MTN flags massive earnings surge in dramatic turnaround<\/p>\n
#MTN #eyes #ambitious #market #share #home #connectivity #Africa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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