MTN Nigeria Communications Plc said it has kicked off an open 5G pilot in the lead-up to its highly anticipated commercial launch in 7 states. The states that will witness the first launch, the company said, include Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.

The telecoms giant also said potential users can pre-order a home broadband device to experience internet “downloads in seconds, not minutes.”

“2G brought us SMS and picture messaging,” MTN CFO Modupe Kadiri said in a post. “3G was about mobile internet access. 4G made streaming and sharing a part of everyday life. 5G delivers the future and it’s here – higher internet speeds, downloads without delay, near-instant connection when streaming, using apps, loading websites, playing games, or connecting to smart home devices.

“So today we started another phase in our journey to Brighten the lives of our esteemed subscribers. Yes today we turned on the 5G spectrum and kicked off our 5G pilot. 20,000 customers with enabled devices can now try out our next-generation network where coverage is available. So seeing 5G on your phone? It means you’re part of the pilot. Welcome to the wonder of 5G!”