MTN Reveals New Plans for its 5G Coverage of South Africa

MTN South Africa has revealed that it is ramping up the rollout of 5G coverage to bring the seamless, fast and cutting-edge experience of the 5th generation network to more South Africans.

With over 1,000 active 5G sites across the country currently, MTN aims to have at least 25% of the population covered by the end of 2022. 

“We want to have 5G connectivity across almost every part of SA. Our aim is to bring the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to more people in an efficient and cost-effective way. This means expanding our 5G coverage every day, with a strong focus on investment into main metros, peri-urban areas, and larger townships initially,” says Charles Molapisi, MTN SA’s CEO.

With speeds 10 times faster than 4G and the potential to be 100 times faster, 5G is changing the way South Africans work and play.

“The benefits of 5G are immense. It makes everything faster, more connected and more reliable for households, businesses and across all areas of individuals’ daily lives – really lending gravitas to our market statement, “5G your life”, says Molapisi. 

The Benefits of 5G

5G wireless technology delivers higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users.

It also ushers in the next generation of service, with higher performance and improved efficiency empowering new user experiences, and connecting new industries.

MTN says that even economies will see more growth and jobs as a result, which is going to be crucial for SA’s COVID-19 recovery and to ensure SA does not miss out on the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

The recent spectrum auction in SA accelerated the adoption of 5G and new applications in, among others, the internet of things (IoT), the Cloud and augmented reality, opening the door to a world of innovation and opportunity. 

MTN’s 5G Coverage Plans

MTN already has 555 5G sites in Gauteng; increasing to 575 when Rustenburg and Brits areas in the North West come online shortly, and this expansion will continue.

Meanwhile, total 5G coverage is set to reach 179 sites in the Western Cape alone by the end of the year, while more 5G sites are planned for Bloemfontein.  

Investment into the Free State and Northern Cape will be ramped up and MTN SA is on track to add 21 additional 5G sites across both provinces – to build on the existing 45 in the Free State and 21 in the Northern Cape.

In Limpopo, the extension of MTN’s 5G connectivity includes rolling out 58 new sites in 2022 to add to the existing 53. Currently, the province has over 100 live 5G sites and more are planned for 2022.  

The extension of MTN’s 5G connectivity is also planned for KZN. Currently, the province has over 100 live 5G sites and more are planned for 2022.  

MTN is also rolling out 5G experiential zones in major shopping centres to showcase the capabilities of this next-generation tech and make these benefits available across the new world of 5G gaming, smart home and motion tracking, among many others.

5G is available in mobile and fixed services through a home-connected ‘plug and play’ solution which connects WiFi-enabled devices, or through sim offering on 5-enabled devices. 5G is also available on Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) in certain areas, offering another way to access faster speeds. 

“Our investment will continue to drive the rollout of 5G as we want to bring the benefits of the modern, connected world to all. For us, every South African should be able ‘5G’ their lives, homes, offices, and every aspect of their on-the-go lifestyles. Our intention is to keep increasing network coverage, improved throughputs, and customer experience”. 

“We are moving fast to ensure our users are at the forefront of innovation and change. Thanks to its greater bandwidth and higher download speeds, 5G is a game-changer and will continue to shake up the world of technology. MTN intends to ensure our customers experience the very best of 5G tech every step of the way,” concludes Molapisi. 

Current 5G sites across South Africa include: 

Edited by Luis Monzon
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