MTN hits snag in unveiling super-fast 5G

MTN has achieved download speeds of more than 20 gigabits a second in its first trial of fifth-generation (5G) technology.

“This is the highest speed achieved on a mobile network in Africa‚” the service provider said yesterday.

MTN was ready to deploy the technology, but could not do so until it had access to additional frequency spectrum, it said.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa‚ which regulates spectrum‚ has not yet allocated spectrum for 4G infrastructure, forcing operators to reallocate 2G and 3G spectrum, TechCentral reports.

“There is no doubt that 5G will offer the consumer higher speeds and lower latency‚ but to achieve this we need the capacity that comes with additional spectrum,” MTN chief technology and innovation officer Giovanni Chiarelli said.

“Once again, we call on the government to urgently release the much-needed spectrum that is required in South Africa‚ to lower the cost of data and drive growth and development for all South Africans.”

MTN has collaborated with network equipment provider Ericsson on its 5G trial and found that the technology is at least 100 times faster than 4G.

Wikipedia’s 5G page says: “5G planning aims at higher capacity than 4G‚ allowing a higher density of broadband users‚ and supporting device-to-device, more reliable‚ and massive machine communications.”

5G research and development also aims at lower latency, it says.