MTN South Africa, in a strategic partnership with Huawei, has completed the first 5.5G network trial in Africa at MTN’s Head Office campus in Johannesburg, South Africa. As a leader in 5G development in South Africa, MTN is once again leveraging the innovative technology of 5.5G to accelerate the journey towards a techno-centric continent, marking the arrival of a new era in African telecommunications. The deployment of MTN’s 5.5G 10 Gbps experience will greatly promote the development of South Africa’s digital economy through connecting the unconnected and will support the enhancement of the lives of its people.
Known for pushing forward with 5G, MTN is now paving the way for 5.5G in Africa — a next-gen step that promises faster, smarter connections to help bring the continent into a new digital era.
This 5.5G tech trial was packed with some impressive features: 10 gigabit speed, more connections for IoT devices, lower latency, energy-efficient networks, and advanced autonomous systems for easier network management.
In real terms, that means internet speeds of up to 10 Gbps, ten times the current connection power for IoT, and a big drop in lag times — all while using a fraction of the energy. MTN hit download speeds of 8.6 Gbps in their trial, bringing futuristic applications like 24K extended reality, holographic meetings, high-speed fixed wireless access, and enhanced private 5G networks closer to reality for businesses and consumers alike.
This trial was a joint effort, with MTN using Huawei’s high-tech antenna units, hybrid beamforming, and carrier aggregation tech to run the 5.5G network over the C-band and millimeter-wave spectrum.
Rami Farah, MTN South Africa CTO, stated, “The successful validation of 5.5G technology by MTN SA and Huawei is not just a technical breakthrough but also a testament to MTN’s ongoing pursuit of excellence. We look forward to more innovative solutions to continuously build the best network and deliver an enhanced experience for South African residents.”
Li Chen, Vice President of Sub-Saharan Region, Huawei, said, “The joint release of 5.5G by MTN South Africa and Huawei not only further deepens the strategic partnership between the two parties but also fully fulfills Huawei’s responsibilities and vision in Africa as a global ICT leader, bringing the most advanced technologies to Africa. Bridging the digital divide and accelerating the development of digital economy and the advent of the Mobile AI era on the African continent.”
5.5G technology includes five key features: 10 Gbps experience, all-scenario Internet of Things (IoT), integrated communication perception, L4-level autonomous driving networks, and green ICT. In the 5.5G era, technological innovations will enhance network performance, increasing capabilities by ten times compared to the current 5G technology. This means 10 Gbps headline connection speeds, 10 times the number of IoT connections, and reduced latency (by a factor of 10). Networks also consume a tenth of the energy that they consume today on a ‘per terabyte’ basis and through level-4 autonomous driving, making operations and maintenance (O&M) more efficient by a factor of 10. This new era will empower MTN to unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers alike.
Jason Shao, Managing Director of Huawei MTN SA, said, “The successful 5.5G practice marks a major milestone in South Africa’s communications development. Huawei will work together with MTN SA to accelerate digital transformation and create a vibrant, intelligent South Africa.”
