n what is described as a first in the history of telecommunication industry, MTN Nigeria and Huawei have launched the country’s first high-speed 400G-800G Hybrid Automatically Switched Optical Network, aimed at improving Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, report the
The two companies, which made this disclosure in a joint statement made available to media houses on Monday, 7 July, 2025, said the new optical network would bring a major boost in internet speed and data capacity, just as they also added that the initiative is designed to help MTN handle the rising demand for data from homes, businesses, and cloud services.
The project, according to the statement, includes the first deployment of L0 + L1 (Optical + Electrical) ASON on MTN’s Lagos transmission line, making it the first of its kind in Nigeria.
It also includes the country’s first 800G single-wavelength optical channel on a DWDM network.
The statement also added that MTN used Huawei’s advanced 400G/800G technology, Optical Cross-Connect and Hybrid ASON to make this happen.
The two companies also added in the statement that the tools help increase network capacity and make the system easier and cheaper to maintain over time.
Speaking on the project, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Yahaya Ibrahim, said, “This milestone enables MTN Nigeria to meet its growing capacity demands and improve the performance of wireless, home broadband and enterprise services.
“With higher-capacity optical channels like 400G/800G, we are able to reduce cost per bit while boosting service reliability. The deployment of Hybrid ASON significantly enhances the stability of 100GE and higher services, ensures upstream connectivity and safeguards MTN’s revenue streams.”
