Cell C rings in change replacing Vodacom as second best mobile network in SA

Mobile network operator Cell C has taken the second spot in the best network operator in the country ranking as Vodacom’s network quality lags.

This was revealed in MyBroadband Insights Q1 2025 Mobile Network Quality Report on Wednesday.

The report covers the period from 1 January, 2025 to 31 March, 2025 and comprises 306 299 speed tests performed by 6 999 mobile data users across the country.

MTN tops

According to the report, MTN still has the best mobile network in South Africa, dominating overall network performance and consistently outperforming its competitors across the most important metrics.

It recorded the highest average download speed at 82.79 Mbps, followed by Cell C at 63.95 Mbps, Vodacom at 61.36 Mbps, Telkom at 46.60 Mbps, and Rain at 22.79 Mbps.

MTN’s strong performance is attributed to its continued investment in network infrastructure for both LTE and 5G networks.

It was also the top-performing network in major metros, including Tshwane, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini and Mangaung.

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Cell C beats Vodacom

The most significant development in the report was that Cell C replaced Vodacom as the second-best mobile network in South Africa.

Cell C’s performance was driven by completing its customer migration to a virtual radio access network hosted by MTN and optimisation strategies to improve its network performance and compete against Vodacom, Telkom and Rain.

While this is the first time that Vodacom has not been ranked as the country’s best or second-best network, it did deliver the best 5G performance in the country, driven by the ongoing expansion of its 5G network.

Rain also continues to lag behind the rest of the pack as it focuses on fixed-wireless broadband rather than mobile services. This may explain its relatively poor mobile network quality.

Network quality

MyBroadband Insights results were not just determined by speed and overall 5G coverage.

To determine the best mobile network in South Africa, each network was given a Network Quality Score based on download speed, upload speed and latency.

The Network Quality Score out of 10 then shows how a network performed in relation to other networks.

MTN reigned supreme with a Network Quality Score of 9.92, followed by Cell C at 8.07, Vodacom at 7.21, Telkom at 6.15, and Rain at 4.44.

Testing was performed using high-end smartphones with support for the latest technologies, as well as mid-range devices that reflect the experience of typical users.

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