Africa’s telecom giant joins tech titans Nvidia, Cisco, and Nokia to back next-generation wireless infrastructure
March 28, 2026
In a major strategic move signaling Africa’s ambitions in the artificial intelligence era, MTN Group has joined a $45 million Series A funding round for ORAN Development Company (ODC), a U.S.-based startup developing AI-native radio access network technology.
The investment, announced Thursday, positions MTN alongside global technology giants Nvidia, Cisco, Nokia, AT&T and Telecom Italia in backing what could become the foundation for a new generation of intelligent telecommunications infrastructure across Africa and beyond.
Transforming Cell Towers into AI Hubs
ODC’s technology, known as AI-RAN (AI-native Radio Access Network), represents a fundamental reimagining of how cellular networks operate. Rather than simply transmitting data, the technology transforms conventional cell towers into edge computing hubs capable of running AI workloads locally, rather than routing data back to centralized data centers.
The company’s Odyssey platform integrates AI processing and sensing capabilities directly into the radio access network, built on Nvidia’s AI Aerial software stack for high-performance, software-defined 5G.
“For Africa, AI-RAN represents a leapfrog opportunity to deliver world-class intelligence from our largest cities to our most remote rural villages,” said Mazen Mroue, CEO of MTN Digital Infrastructure. “This isn’t just about connectivity; it’s about building the distributed AI compute foundation required to accelerate financial inclusion, industrial autonomy, and local innovation.”
Strategic Implications for African Markets
The investment complements MTN’s broader digital transformation strategy. In its 2025 annual results published earlier this month, MTN said it was positioning for AI-enabled data centers in South Africa and Nigeria and had shortlisted strategic partners for greenfield development.
MTN did not disclose the specific amount of its investment in ODC, but the company’s participation in the round signals confidence that the technology could address unique challenges in African telecommunications markets, where traditional infrastructure development has often lagged behind demand.
Mroue said that AI-RAN will also support the development of sovereign AI across the continent, a growing concern for African nations seeking to maintain control over critical data and technological infrastructure.
A Global Syndicate with U.S. Roots
The funding round brings together an impressive roster of technology and telecommunications companies. Other investors include Booz Allen as well as Phoenix Venture Partners and existing seed investment from affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management – which is ODC’s parent company.
The emphasis on ODC as a “U.S.-based RAN stack” reflects broader geopolitical considerations in telecommunications infrastructure development, as nations and companies navigate supply chain security and technological sovereignty concerns.
“The industry is moving toward software-defined, AI-native telecom networks, which will be essential for the Physical AI era,” said Ronnie Vasishta, SVP of Telecom at Nvidia. “ODC’s AI-RAN stack is a key enabler of this shift, turning today’s 5G networks into a distributed AI computing fabric at the wireless edge.”
Timeline and Deployment
ODC Chairman Dr. Shaygan Kheradpir said that the successful Series A raise will allow ODC to scale its engagement with global partners. “We are now focused on ramping our engagements and accelerating the commercial deployment of this intelligent infrastructure throughout 2026,” he said.
However, the company has not yet disclosed specific timelines for African deployments, though MTN’s involvement as both investor and strategic partner suggests the continent will be a priority market.
Part of a Broader AI Strategy
The ODC investment builds on MTN’s growing commitment to artificial intelligence. In November 2025, MTN and Microsoft announced a partnership to bring Microsoft 365 with Copilot to MTN’s 300+ million customers across Africa, aimed at enabling broader participation in the digital economy.
“Africa’s growth will increasingly be shaped by how effectively its people can participate in the digital world,” said MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita at the time of that announcement.
The dual approach—investing in both AI-powered network infrastructure and AI productivity tools for end users—suggests MTN is positioning itself not just as a connectivity provider but as a comprehensive digital enablement platform for the continent.
What AI-RAN Enables
According to ODC, AI-RAN infrastructure integrates AI capabilities into radio access networks, claiming to transform cell sites into high-performance compute hubs capable of orchestrating everything from agentic AI and real-time generative processes to AI applications that secure national infrastructure.
Potential applications span from enhanced mobile services to industrial automation, autonomous systems, and critical infrastructure protection. For African markets, where mobile connectivity often serves as the primary means of internet access, embedding intelligence at the network edge could enable entirely new categories of services without requiring users to have high-end devices or reliable connectivity to distant data centers.
Industry Context
Nokia’s Chief Technology and AI Officer, Pallavi Mahajan, noted that “AI is a fundamentally new workload that is reshaping network architecture—driving the need for software-driven platforms, intelligence at the edge, and continuous innovation.”
The telecommunications industry has been actively exploring AI integration, with AI-RAN emerging as a key theme at this year’s Mobile World Congress. The convergence of 5G infrastructure, edge computing, and artificial intelligence is seen by many industry observers as essential for the eventual transition to 6G networks.
For MTN and Africa, the bet on AI-native networks represents not just a technological upgrade but a strategic positioning for the next phase of the continent’s digital evolution—one where intelligence is distributed across the network itself, bringing advanced capabilities to users regardless of their location or economic status.
