04 January 2022

MTN South Sudan and Canadian mobile wireless infrastructure solutions provider NuRAN Wireless have finalised an agreement to roll out 250 telecom sites via a "build, operate and transfer" revenue-sharing model over the next 24 months in rural areas of the country.

The agreement is the next step of an initial memorandum of understanding signed in July last year and Diatile Zondo, MTN South Sudan's chief financial officer, said the partnership with NuRAN Wireless is in line with the company's vision to provide a connected life for everyone, especially in rural areas.

Francis Letourneau, president and CEO of NuRAN Wireless, said the addition of South Sudan to the company's portfolio of operations "is another important step towards achieving our goal of 10,000 sites." He said "bringing connectivity to the unconnected is at the core of our business strategy and the benefits extend beyond communication, including e-commerce, education and health."

Between 2019 and 2021, internet penetration in South Sudan declined from 17% to 8% according to Hootsuite and We Are Social in their Digital Report. 

The agreement between MTN South Sudan and NuRAN Wireless is for a period of 10 years. It is expected to generate revenue of approximately C$1,800 (approximately US$1,300) per site per month or C$57 million in revenue over the term of the contract.