MTN Group, Africa's largest mobile network operator, selected IP Infusion as an approved software supplier for its newly formed Open and Disaggregated Networking Category. The approval followed a Request for Proposal process and was granted alongside three other vendors, with delivery enabled through partnership with NEC XON, an African integrator. MTN's stated goal is to use open and disaggregated technologies to reduce capital expenditure and drive operational cost efficiency.
The Challenge
Founded in 1994, MTN Group serves 280 million customers across 16 markets. To keep pace with that scale, the operator wanted an alternative to closed, single-vendor networking stacks that would let it choose hardware and software independently and contain network costs as it expands service delivery and digital access across the communities it serves.
The Solution
MTN Group designated IP Infusion as a software provider for its Open Transport and Disaggregated category, with OcNOS SP positioned for access and aggregation roles. NEC XON, the regional integrator partner, brings the deployment, integration, and support footprint MTN needs across the continent.
- Product: OcNOS SP for access and aggregation
- Selection path: Approved through MTN's RFP for the Open and Disaggregated Networking Category, Software
- Delivery partner: NEC XON, an African integrator
- Ecosystem: MTN is a member of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), contributing to SDN for Transport, OOPT, DDBR, and DCSG work streams
Outcomes
With IP Infusion on the approved list, MTN can build a disaggregated networking ecosystem that interoperates with multiple global vendors instead of locking into one. The operator expects this approach to lower capital expenditure, drive operational efficiency, and give it the flexibility to introduce new services faster for its 280 million customers.
- Independent hardware and software choices across the access and aggregation layers
- Lower capital expenditure and improved operational cost efficiency, per MTN's stated goal
- A multi-vendor ecosystem aligned with TIP open networking work streams
Why OcNOS
OcNOS SP gives carriers a disaggregated network operating system that runs on standards-based hardware, so operators can streamline operations and reduce Total Cost of Ownership while keeping vendor choice open. As Lloyd Mphahlele, General Manager of Group Technology at MTN Group, put it: "By adopting open and disaggregated networking, we're able to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of our network infrastructure. This approach not only drives innovation but also allows us to better serve our customers by improving service delivery and expanding access to the latest digital solutions."