JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - MTN South Africa has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China Telecom and Huawei for strategic collaboration that could advance the mobile operator's offerings in 5G, cloud, AI and business solutions, it said on Tuesday.

Huawei said the new 5G-A network covers stadiums, schools, scenic areas, metro stations, commercial areas and residential districts.

MTN South Africa has forged a strategic partnership with China Telecom and Huawei, aiming to enhance its offerings in 5G, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and business solutions. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalize the collaboration,

MTN South Africa on Tuesday launched MTN Icon 5G, a 5G-enabled smartphone it plans to sell for 2,499 rand ($138) as part of its commitment to make mobile internet more accessible and switch customers from older 2G and 3G technologies.