MTN South Africa achieves 10 Gbps in 5G-Advanced trial

MTN South Africa, in partnership with Huawei, has achieved a peak download speed of 10.35 Gbps during the first 5G-Advanced network trial using the upper 6 GHz band on the African continent. The test was conducted at MTN’s headquarters in Randburg under a temporary radio frequency license from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).

The trial utilized a standalone 5G core network, ultra-wideband active antennas, and beamforming technologies across a 400 MHz bandwidth. This technology, often referred to as 5.5G, represents an evolutionary step toward future 6G networks.

While the results demonstrate the potential for increased speed and capacity, the speeds achieved were measured under controlled conditions at a single site and do not reflect typical commercial user speeds. Full commercial deployment remains subject to ICASA’s decisions regarding spectrum assignment and feasibility studies for the 6425 MHz to 7125 MHz range.