These are SA’s best and worst mobile networks

The report also shows that MTN has the best network in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Durban and Cape Town.

Data for mobile phones.

MyBroadband Insights has released its 2020 Mobile Network Quality Report for South Africa, which ranks the country’s mobile networks.

MTN was found to have the best mobile network in South Africa, after 41,099 MyBroadband Android Speed Test App users conducted 1,204,396 speed tests recorded between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020.

The report also shows that MTN has the best network in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Durban and Cape Town.

According to the report, South Africa had an average download speed of 29.33Mbps and an average upload speed of 11.24Mbps.

MTN had the highest average download speed at 52.84Mbps, followed by Vodacom on 29.39Mbps, Telkom on 21.58Mbps, Cell C on 17.46Mbps and Rain on 11.90Mbps.

The report states: “The download speed [60%], upload speed [20%], and latency [20%] are used to calculate a network quality score.”

The network quality score, out of 10, then shows how the network performed in relation to other networks.

MTN’s network quality score was 9.86, placing it ahead of the pack, followed by Vodacom on 6.17, Telkom on 4.87, Cell C on 4.35 and Rain on 4.35.

MTN South Africa’s executive for corporate affairs, Jacqui O’Sullivan, said the results of the report were a testimony to the network’s “core belief that all South Africans deserve the benefits of a modern connected life”.

“Over the past few years we have implemented transmission capacity upgrades, core capacity management, load-shedding improvements as well as introduced several measures to deal with traffic volume on our network.

“MTN is committed to further investment to better capacitate our sites, so more customers can enjoy the best quality network experience. We are proud to be named SA’s best network once again, for the fourth consecutive quarter of 2020.”

Telkom had the lowest average upload speed at 5.85Mbps, in ascending order, followed by Cell C at 7.91Mbps, Rain at 9.93Mbps, Vodacom at 10.43Mbps and MTN at 19.92Mbps.