MTN Uganda tapped Huawei to its network with a cloud-native 5G-capable core, advancing the goals of the operator’s parent company to carve out a leading position in the continent’s broader digital transformation.

The operator’s Ugandan unit stated Huawei will integrate core network elementsa single cloud network over the course of a five-year deal. The move is expected to boost operational efficiency, customer experience and services across all business verticals.

MTN stated the project spans unifying legacy core network elements “into a single vendor”, in turn simplifying management of the infrastructure.

The operator added the partnership marked an important step in the continent’s digital push along with its own preparations to deploy 5G in Uganda.

Huawei Uganda MD Gavin Gaofei stated the deal solidifies a working relationship spanning 20 years and will remove complexity in network operations.