MTN has launched its 5G mobile network across major cities in South Africa, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth.
During a Youtube livestream media launch, speed tests were performed at various locations in Johannesburg and download speeds in excess of 600Mbps with latencies averaging 15ms were demonstrated.

Tests performed by media reported download speeds peaking in excess of 700Mbps and upload speeds peaking at 100Mbps.

MTN deployed 5G in 2.1GHz using Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, 3.5GHz and 28GHz bands.

MTN’s 5G deployment in Johannesburg uses Huawei Massive MIMO for the services that require high bandwidths such as 4K video, multi-angle video, and AR/VR services, and provide broadband services for families and SMEs.

MTN used dynamic spectrum sharing between 4G and 5G in the 2.1 GHz band. 2.1 GHz spectrum can provide wider coverage due to its lower frequency spectrum characteristics.

Huawei’s DSS (dynamic spectrum sharing) technology enables operators to quickly provide 5G services by upgrading existing 4G base stations to 5G without changing antennas and radio units.

“MTN is the first in Africa to deploy the DSS technology in a 5G live network, which can dynamically adjust the spectrum in milliseconds based on 4G and 5G service requirements, maximizing spectrum utilization,” says Huawei CEO Spawn Fan.

MTN uses 100 MHz millimeter wave spectrum resources to provide broadband resources for enterprises and SMEs, which can enjoy high speed internet services and enter the digital age without requiring a fiber connection.

Giovanni Chiarelli, CTIO of MTN South Africa, said: “An excellent 5G network will enable us to provide more services and to offer the ultimate service experience to MTN customers.”