MTN And Meta Partner Up To Improve WhatsApp Call Quality In 12 Countries

MTN really wants to hold onto its coveted top spot in MyBroadband Insight’s next quarterly roundup, huh? Despite already nabbing 1st place for 2024, MTN has announced a partnership with Meta to “enhance the quality and reliability” of services such as WhatsApp – specifically voice and video calls – across 12 countries.

“By optimising application-aware networks and network-aware applications, the initiative aims to deliver a more seamless, stable, and high-quality user experience. The collaboration aims to improve real-time calling experiences across 12 markets by pinpointing areas for enhancement and executing specific interventions.”

MTN’s got growth

The two have collaborated on the project since MWC 2024, attempting to identify areas in dire need of ‘improvement’ under the telecom’s care before delivering ‘targeted’ network optimisations – all while retaining efficient traffic delivery.

“The collaboration allows us to deploy advanced solutions for an unparalleled real-time experience in Nigeria and showcases our dedication to elevating service quality and improving user experience, while striving for continued efficiency in traffic delivery,” added Diego Marí, Meta.

Read More: MTN announces plans to develop an Africa-based streaming service

Neither MTN nor Meta has revealed what those “specific interventions” involve, though the former noted that several solutions have already been implemented in one market ahead of the official announcement. Nigeria will serve as the company’s guinea pig, where these improvements are already bearing fruit, with a reported 50% surge in key performance indicators (KPIs) across the country.

Unfortunately, aside from confirmation of Nigeria’s participation, MTN did not comment on which markets would receive the WhatsApp upgrade nor when customers could expect it. Considering the extensive man-hours required to bring Nigeria up to speed, we assume it won’t be a quick solution, likely requiring months or possibly even years to reach all the countries MTN has identified as worthy of a Meta-fied upgrade.