MTN South Sudan on Friday secured a 15-year operating license from the National Communication Authority, a move officials said would bring the telecom operator in line with national regulations.
The new license replaces outdated terms and includes commitments to improve service quality, expand coverage and drive innovation. MTN had previously operated in South Sudan under a Sudanese license.
At a signing ceremony in Juba, NCA Director-General Napoleon Adok Gai said the license covers cellular services and enables regulatory enforcement under South Sudanese law.
“Today we issue a new license for MTN for 15 years with terms and conditions specific to the sovereignty of South Sudan,” Adok said. “This is a service-specific license for cellular services.”
Adok called the agreement a “new dawn” for South Sudan’s telecom sector, adding that the license would be reviewed to align with emerging technologies.
“This is a vote of confidence in South Sudan,” he said.
MTN South Sudan CEO Ali Monzer pledged to expand network coverage to 90% of the population within the first 10 years.
“We are committed to addressing coverage gaps,” Monzer said, adding that the company would continue corporate social responsibility programs in health, information and communication technology, and education.
MTN South Sudan, a subsidiary of South Africa’s MTN Group, is the country’s largest telecom operator with 2.5 million subscribers and a 59.7% market share as of December 2022.
The company, established in 2011, operates in all 10 states of South Sudan. MTN Group serves 290.6 million subscribers across 22 countries in Africa and the Middle East.