MTN Rwanda turns to AI for faster fault detection as its 5G network expands
The operator says AI is helping its teams find outages and network degradation earlier, while a location-by-location 5G rollout reaches Musanze.
MTN Rwanda is using artificial intelligence inside its mobile network to detect faults earlier and help engineers respond before service problems spread. The operator is deploying the tools while expanding 5G coverage in selected locations rather than attempting a nationwide rollout at once.
Chief executive Ali Monzer told ITWeb Africa that AI engines are helping the company identify site outages, fibre cuts and declining network performance. That information gives field teams a clearer starting point when they investigate a fault and supports preventive maintenance.
AI moves into everyday network work
The most immediate use is operational. Mobile networks produce a continuous stream of performance data, alarms and traffic changes. Software can compare those signals and flag unusual behaviour faster than a team checking each system separately. MTN Rwanda says it is also using AI in customer management and its contact centre.
The company's strategy has three parts: applying AI within the network, adding data-centre capacity and developing services designed for African users. One of those services is Ms Baza, an AI-powered virtual assistant that MTN first presented as a prototype at Mobile World Congress Kigali in October 2025.
Local AI hosting remains a longer-term plan. Monzer said MTN Rwanda wants to build enough computing capacity to host workloads in the country, but acknowledged that the infrastructure is not there yet.
5G reaches Musanze
MTN Rwanda commercially launched 5G in Kigali in 2025 and has since expanded it across parts of Gasabo, Nyarugenge, Kicukiro and Kamonyi. Recent deployment has reached Musanze, about 92 kilometres northwest of Kigali. The operator is choosing high-demand locations rather than providing blanket coverage.
Device access will influence how quickly customers use the new network. MTN says the number of 5G-capable consumer devices in Rwanda has tripled since last year. Its active data subscriber base reached 2.7 million by the end of June, up 14.5 percent, while total subscribers grew to 8.7 million.
For customers, the practical test will be service quality. Earlier fault detection should mean shorter disruptions, while 5G's lower latency can support applications that need a quick response. Coverage, compatible devices and local computing capacity will decide how widely those gains are felt.
MTN's first-half figures provide some context for the investment. The operator reported EBITDA growth of 43.7 percent to $44.3 million, while total subscribers increased by 11.4 percent. Those results do not measure AI performance on their own, but they show that the network changes are happening during a period of rising usage and improved financial performance.
The company will still need to explain how automated decisions are checked by engineers, especially when a system flags the likely cause of an outage. AI can narrow the search, but field teams remain responsible for confirming whether the problem is a damaged fibre route, failed site equipment or another issue. Clear operational controls will matter as the tools move from fault alerts into customer service and other parts of the business.