According to a ‘ My Broadband ‘ survey, MTN is the best mobile network in South Africa.
288,210-speed tests that 7,092 mobile data consumers took between April and June of 2024 were evaluated for the study.
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MTN: The nation’s fastest network
With an average download speed of 83.08 Mbps, MTN was the fastest, followed by Vodacom (79.70 Mbps), Cell C (54.50 Mbps), and Telkom (32.29).
The average mobile download speed in South Africa rose from 62.27 Mbps to 70.41 Mbps overall this year.
Crowdsourced user data and specialised drive tests were used in the testing process to provide a realistic and fair depiction of network performance in the real world.
According to the research, the average upload speed was 15.94 Mbps, up from 14.88 Mbps during the same period in 2023.
Rain: the worst performance network
With an average download speed of 21.31 Mbps, less than the national average and out of step with the rest of the industry, Rain had the worst performance and produced the most dire effects.
The analysis revealed that Vodacom dominated Johannesburg, Mangaung, and Cape Town, while MTN excelled in eThekwini, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, and Nelson Mandela Bay.
MTN has improved its network performance over the last ten years by investing R10 billion yearly in its infrastructure.
The operator upgraded infrastructure with modern batteries and generators, increasing its capital expenditures in South Africa by 15% over the previous year.
These improvements enabled MTN to maintain dependable mobile services in the face of South Africa’s continuous electrical shortages.
Vodacom leads 5G networks as Cell C gets better
Despite ranking second in overall network performance behind MTN, Vodacom earned the most incredible 5G speeds.
Vodacom is actively developing a 5G network throughout South Africa, and the most recent data demonstrated the return on its investment.
The most recent update emphasises Cell C’s progress as well. Between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024, its download speed increased from 38.63 Mbps to 54.50 Mbps.
The optimisation of Cell C’s virtual network and its transition to MTN’s network are directly related to this improvement.
Regarding network performance, this move and tuning enabled Cell C to maintain its lead over Rain and Telkom.
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Top mobile provider
Using download, upload, and latency times for each network, a “Network Quality Score” was computed to identify the top mobile network in South Africa.
The Network Quality Score then shows the performance of a network in comparison to other networks out of 10.
With a Network Quality Score of 9.87, MTN was the clear winner, followed by Vodacom (8.85), Cell C (6.83), Telkom (4.91), and Rain (4.48).