South African telecoms operators will have to jump through several tricky regulatory hoops – and roll out services in rural areas first – to get access to new radio frequency spectrum.

Department of telecommunications & postal services director-general Robert Nkuna has vowed that South Africa will be among the first countries to deploy next-generation 5G networks.

MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter said the company is committed to Nigeria even as it considers how to respond to an order to return $8.1-billion in repatriated funds.

MTN Group and four lenders won approval from Nigeria’s central bank to repatriate funds in a ruling last year, indicating Africa’s largest wireless operator is at least now complying with regulations it’s accused of flouting prior to 2015.

In a hugely significant development, government is poised to liberalise radio frequency spectrum in South Africa, allowing the free trading of spectrum assignments – subject to regulatory conditions.

MTN Group may receive a naira-denominated refund if Africa’s biggest wireless carrier returns the $8.1-billion that Nigeria says was illegally taken out of the country.