MTN pushes South Africa’s 5G speeds beyond 10Gbps

Johannesburg – MTN South Africa has recorded peak download speeds of 10.35 gigabits per second (Gbps) in a trial of upgraded 5G technology, marking a significant development in the country’s efforts to expand high-speed wireless connectivity.

According to MyBroadband, the trial was conducted at MTN’s headquarters in Randburg in partnership with Huawei, using a temporary radio licence issued by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).

The trial tested 5G-Advanced technology in the upper 6GHz (U6GHz) spectrum band. MTN used 400MHz of bandwidth, a standalone 5G core network and advanced antenna and beamforming technology to achieve the speeds.

“The achievement highlights the significant capacity, speed, and efficiency that U6GHz spectrum could unlock in the future,” MTN said.

TechCentral, which also reported on the trial, noted that the result was achieved under controlled conditions and should not be interpreted as the speeds ordinary customers can currently expect.

Faster fixed-wireless broadband

The publication reported that South Africa has identified the upper 6GHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications, but spectrum in the band has not yet been assigned to individual operators. Its future use remains significant for mobile network providers seeking additional capacity as data demand grows.

MTN said the technology could support faster fixed-wireless broadband in areas where installing fibre infrastructure is difficult or expensive. It could also improve network capacity in crowded locations such as shopping centres, stadiums, transport hubs and university campuses.

MTN South Africa chief executive Ferdi Moolman said the trial demonstrated the importance of innovation in the country’s telecommunications sector.

“It is important that we explore technologies that can expand capacity, enhance customer experiences, and support the country’s digital transformation ambitions,” he said.

The development follows MTN’s earlier work on advanced 5G technology. In November 2024, MyBroadband reported that the operator had achieved speeds of 8.6Gbps during a 5.5G trial with Huawei.

While the latest result demonstrates the potential of next-generation mobile networks, its wider benefits will depend on spectrum availability, network deployment and the eventual commercial rollout of the technology.