MTN and Huawei Bring High-Speed 800G Network to Nigeria

In a leap forward for Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, MTN Nigeria —working in partnership with Huawei —has launched the nation’s first hybrid 400G–800G Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON). This strategic deployment marks a turning point in the evolution of Nigeria’s broadband capacity, delivering faster, smarter, and more resilient transmission across the country’s high-traffic corridors.

At the core of the upgrade is a dual-layered approach to optical switching—L0 + L1 ASON—now live on MTN’s Lagos dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) backbone. This is the first implementation of its kind in Nigeria, underscoring MTN’s commitment to future-ready infrastructure and service quality.

The deployment also includes Nigeria’s first single-wavelength 800G optical channel, setting a new benchmark for long-haul fibre performance in West Africa. By leveraging Huawei’s next-generation 400G/800G platforms, including Optical Cross-Connect (OXC) and hybrid ASON technology, the network is now equipped to handle explosive growth in data consumption while streamlining operational complexity.

For users, the impact will be felt in faster, more stable connectivity across sectors—from cloud computing and enterprise platforms to consumer broadband and mobile experiences. The upgraded system is designed not only for capacity, but for intelligence, bringing adaptive routing and automated recovery to the fore.

MTN says the move aligns with Nigeria’s broader digital economy ambitions, reinforcing national goals around inclusive access and digital resilience. As data demands continue to climb, intelligent optical transport will be central to unlocking future growth.

With this deployment, Nigeria joins a select group of markets pushing the boundaries of optical innovation—showing that Africa’s digital transformation is not just catching up, but actively defining what comes next.