MTN is officially the first African telecom company to launch the 5G network. As expected the company has launched its new 5G network in South Africa providing access to 100 sites across the country. The 5G network will deliver faster internet, ultra-low latency, increased reliability, and greater network capacity.
The company’s 5G network covers some certain parts of Johannesburg and Cape Town, as well as Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth. MTN SA CEO Godfrey Motsa during the company’s live-streamed launch event siad, the telecom company is stepping up its digital revolution with the next generation of technology with the capacity to bring about exponential improvements to the country’s economy.
❝For the past two years we have been actively innovating around the potential of 5G, using different bands and various vendors and across different platforms and devices, to ensure MTN South Africa can maintain leadership in 5G, as we have been able to maintain our leadership in 4G,❞ MTN Chief Technology & Information Officer, Chiarelli said.
❝Our 5G strategy has been years in the making and we are confident that we have built a strong foundation to grow and support our 5G ecosystem to deliver an exceptional experience for our customers.❞
MTN will deliver its 5G connectivity on four different spectrum bands called the ❝golden band❞:
- 3.5 GHz at 58 sites – Available in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein.
- 2,100MHz and 1,800MHz at 35 sites – Available in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.
- 700MHz at 5 sites – Available in Port Alfred, Hopetown, Virginia Queenstown, and Tsantsabane
- 2.8GHz at 3 sites – Available in Hatfield, Edenvale, and Durban.
The telecom company also said it is re-farming some 4G spectrum to allow it to run 4G and 5G spectrum, at the same time, on the same band.
MTN’s 5G service is offered in two variants – 5G home Wi-Fi and 5G mobile. The 5G home Wi-Fi promises an average speed of 100Mbps and max speed of 500Mbps, while the 5G mobile will deliver an average speed of 50Mbps and max speed of 500Mbps.
MTN 5G Data Offer
When is MTN 5G coming to Nigeria
Currently, there is word on when the 5G service will reach Nigeria and other African countries like Ghana, Republic of Congo etc.