MTN South Africa achieves Africa’s first 5.5G network trial

MTN South Africa has successfully completed Africa’s inaugural 5.5G network trial at its Johannesburg headquarters, marking a new technological milestone on the continent.

In partnership with Huawei, MTN demonstrated 5.5G’s potential to deliver faster, more efficient, and higher-capacity connectivity, setting the stage for advanced applications in South Africa.

The trial featured groundbreaking enhancements: speeds up to 10 Gbps, increased Internet of Things (IoT) capacity, reduced latency, energy-efficient operation, and sophisticated autonomous network management.

MTN achieved download speeds of 8.6 Gbps, bringing futuristic technologies—such as 24K extended reality, holographic meetings, high-speed wireless access, and robust private 5G networks—closer to becoming a reality for South African businesses and consumers.

To conduct the trial, MTN utilized Huawei’s state-of-the-art antenna systems, hybrid beamforming, and carrier aggregation, operating over the C-band and millimeter-wave spectrum.

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MTN’s Chief Technology Officer, Rami Farah, emphasized the trial’s significance, noting that it reflects MTN’s commitment to creating a more connected future for South Africa.

Huawei’s Li Chen added that this 5.5G trial represents an opportunity to bridge South Africa’s digital divide and strengthen its digital economy, with MTN and Huawei aiming to make the nation a leader in high-speed, intelligent connectivity.

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