MTN South Africa has achieved peak download speeds of 10.35Gbit/s in a trial of 5G-Advanced technology using the upper 6GHz spectrum band, which has been identified for mobile networks but has not yet been assigned to any operator.
The trial, conducted at MTN’s headquarters in Johannesburg under a temporary radio licence from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), used 400MHz of spectrum and equipment supplied by Huawei.
MTN described the test as Africa’s first 5G-Advanced trial in the upper 6GHz band, positioning the technology as a potential step towards sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks expected around the end of the decade.
The operator used a standalone 5G core network and wideband antennas equipped with beamforming technology, which focuses radio signals on individual devices, to achieve the reported speed.
However, MTN noted that the 10.35Gbit/s result was recorded at a single site under controlled conditions and should not be interpreted as the speeds customers can expect from commercial services.
The trial also strengthens the company’s case for allocating the upper 6GHz band to licensed mobile services, an issue that has attracted competing interests from mobile operators and Wi-Fi advocates.
In July, Icasa gazetted the National Radio Frequency Plan 2026, which identified the entire upper 6GHz band, covering 700MHz of spectrum between 6.425GHz and 7.125GHz, for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), a designation covering mobile broadband technologies such as 5G and future 6G networks.
The plan followed approval by Communications Minister Solly Malatsi.
Although MTN says the plan formally allocated the band to mobile services, the IMT identification does not exclude other uses, including Wi-Fi, or establish priority for mobile operators under international radio regulations. No spectrum in the band has yet been assigned to an operator.
Competition over spectrum use
The identification of the upper 6GHz band for IMT was welcomed by mobile operators and the GSMA, which had lobbied for the spectrum to be retained for licensed mobile use.
However, Wi-Fi advocates, including the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, had called on Icasa to make the band available for licence-exempt use.
Icasa had already opened the lower 6GHz band, spanning 5.925GHz to 6.425GHz, to Wi-Fi use in 2023.
MTN argues that the upper 6GHz band could support fibre-like home broadband through fixed-wireless access, while providing additional network capacity in high-demand locations such as stadiums, shopping centres and transport hubs.
The trial demonstrates the speed potential of 5G-Advanced technology while adding to the debate over how South Africa should allocate spectrum to meet future mobile connectivity demands.
