MTN Nigeria and Huawei have jointly deployed what they describe as the country’s first hybrid 400G/800G Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON), in a move aimed at expanding data transmission capacity and enhancing service reliability across MTN’s backbone infrastructure.

The two companies, in a statement issued on June 3, said the deployment includes the activation of L0 + L1 ASON technology—combining both optical and electrical switching—on the Lagos segment of MTN Nigeria’s Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) terrestrial transmission network.

According to the statement, this is the first such deployment in Nigeria. The project also includes what is described as the country’s first single-wavelength 800G optical channel on a DWDM network.

The development is part of MTN Nigeria’s efforts to accommodate growing data usage from both enterprise and consumer segments, and to support the operator’s long-term goals around network modernization and service delivery. The network upgrade, the companies said, is expected to provide higher bandwidth and improved network efficiency.

MTN Nigeria deployed Huawei’s 400G/800G optical platforms, Optical Cross-Connect (OXC), and Hybrid ASON solutions as part of the rollout.

The companies said the technologies would help reduce operational complexity and long-term maintenance costs while supporting increased transmission capacity.

MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Yahaya Ibrahim, said the project would improve service performance across multiple verticals.

“This milestone enables MTN Nigeria to meet its growing capacity demands and improve the performance of wireless, home broadband and enterprise services,” Ibrahim said. “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.”

The companies did not disclose the financial value of the project or the timeline for further rollouts beyond Lagos.