To address the growing demand for digitalization and intelligence across Africa, both parties will leverage AI as the core driving force to upgrade network planning, deployment, and operations capabilities.
During MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei and MTN Group signed a 2026 Strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two parties will deepen cooperation around AI-driven intelligent network evolution, digital inclusion, home broadband development, data monetization, digital infrastructure, and ESG initiatives. With Autonomous Networks (AN) L4 as a shared evolution target, the partnership aims to accelerate Africa’s digital and intelligent transformation into a new phase. The MoU signing ceremony, referenced as 260305-10, formalized the strategic cooperation between MTN Group and Huawei.
AI-Powered Network Evolution
To address the growing demand for digitalization and intelligence across Africa, both parties will leverage AI as the core driving force to upgrade network planning, deployment, and operations capabilities. Together, they will accelerate the development of a next-generation intelligent network architecture represented by Agentic Networks. Powered by Copilots and intelligent Agents, and enabled by coordinated intelligence across device, network, and service layers, the network will evolve from automation toward autonomy.
Aligned with the AN L4 target, Huawei and MTN will further build an intelligent agent-driven network architecture centered on Copilot and Agentic AI. This transformation will drive a structural shift in operations from “human-driven” to “agent-driven” models, establish closed-loop autonomous capabilities across the full network lifecycle, and steadily progress toward a sustainable and scalable high-level autonomous network framework.
Key Areas of Cooperation
Building on their existing collaboration, the two parties will deepen cooperation in several key areas:
- Digital Inclusion: Addressing Coverage Gap and Usage Gap through scalable validation and replication of cost-efficient rural network solutions, exploring affordable device strategies, and innovative access models.
- Home Broadband: Advancing coordinated development of FTTH and 5G FWA, exploring innovative deployment models, affordable CPE solutions, and joint go-to-market approaches.
- Operational Efficiency: Enhancing broadband provisioning efficiency and intelligent O&M capabilities to optimize service delivery and OPEX performance.
- Data Monetization: Exploring compliant and secure models powered by AI-driven precision operations to unlock the value of network and service data.
- Digital Infrastructure: Strengthening AI-ready data centers, fiber networks, and connectivity platforms to reinforce Africa’s intelligent economy.
The Huawei & MTN Technology Innovation Lab, located at MTN Group’s headquarters in South Africa, will support a phased innovation mechanism that enables priority use cases to progress from proof-of-concept to pilot testing and commercial deployment, accelerating large-scale transformation of joint innovation outcomes.
Leadership Statements
“The long-standing partnership between MTN and Huawei has delivered tangible business value, supporting the Group’s sustained and resilient growth. Looking ahead, MTN expects the collaboration to evolve from incremental optimization to structural transformation, particularly in AI-enabled network capabilities, operational efficiency, and business model innovation. The partnership aims to create measurable value that enhances the Group’s profitability, while accelerating progress in home broadband, device upgrades, and intelligent capability development.”
– Selorm Adadevoh, Group Chief Commercial, Strategy & Transformation Officer, MTN Group
“Huawei’s technology evolution is highly aligned with MTN’s strategic direction. Huawei is driving the development of next-generation network architectures that enable intelligent coordination across equipment, network and service layers, accelerating the evolution from automated networks toward autonomous networks. In the future, networks will not only provide connectivity but will also support AI-driven experience and service innovation, enabling the coordinated growth of experience and business value. Huawei will continue to deepen strategic cooperation with MTN toward the AN L4 goal and jointly build AI-centric network capabilities to support the long-term sustainable development of Africa’s digital economy.”
– Li Peng, Huawei Senior Vice President and President, ICT Sales & Service
Strategic Partnership Outlook
The signing marks a transition from exploratory collaboration to a more structured and scalable strategic partnership. Building on a strong foundation of long-term cooperation, Huawei and MTN will further integrate technological capabilities and industry resources to accelerate the upgrade of Africa’s digital infrastructure and intelligent transformation.
MWC Barcelona 2026, held from March 2 to March 5 in Barcelona, Spain, featured Huawei showcasing its latest products and solutions at stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1.
The era of agentic networks is approaching rapidly, and the commercial adoption of 5G-A at scale is accelerating. Huawei is actively working with carriers and partners globally to unleash the full potential of 5G-A and pave the way for 6G evolution.
Huawei stated that it is creating AI-Centric Network solutions to enable intelligent services, networks, and network elements (NEs), accelerate the large-scale deployment of level-4 autonomous networks (AN L4), and use AI to upgrade its core business. The company added that, together with other industry players, it aims to create leading value-driven networks and AI computing backbones for a fully intelligent future.
