Telecommunications group Telkom has clarified media reports that it will sign a roaming agreement with cell phone operator MTN.

"While roaming negotiations and site sharing arrangements are at an advanced stage with the mobile cellular operators, Telkom has not finalised any agreement with any of the parties as yet," Nombulelo Moholi, MD of Telkom South Africa said in a statement on Thursday.

The speculation arose as a result of Telkom's intention to become SA's fourth mobile network operator later this year.

Should Telkom sign a roaming agreement with MTN, this would mean that Telkom mobile customers would roam on MTN's network outside the large urban centres where Telkom has no infrastructure.