After having successfully launched its 5G next generation mobile network in South Africa this week, MTN became the first operator in Africa to deploy the DSS (dynamic spectrum sharing) technology on a 5G live network.

This is according to Huawei, which released a statement to the media saying MTN's 5G deployment in Johannesburg uses Huawei Massive MIMO.

The Chinese multinational explained that this technology guarantees the user experience for services that require high bandwidths such as 4K video, multi-angle video, and AR/VR services, and provide broadband services for families and SMEs.

To enable wider 5G coverage, MTN uses dynamic spectrum sharing between 4G and 5G in the 2.1 GHz band. The 2.1 GHz spectrum can provide wider coverage due to its lower frequency spectrum characteristics, the company added.

“Huawei's DSS technology enables operators to quickly provide 5G services by upgrading existing 4G base stations to 5G without changing antennas and radio units,” reads an excerpt from the statement.

Huawei CEO Spawn Fan said: “MTN is the first in Africa to deploy the DSS technology on a 5G live network, which can dynamically adjust the spectrum in milliseconds based on 4G and 5G service requirements, maximising spectrum utilisation.”

The millimeter-wave band has abundant spectrum resources and can provide a huge capacity to provide services for hotspots and home broadband.

MTN uses 100 MHz millimeter wave spectrum resources to provide broadband resources for Enterprises and SMEs, which can enjoy high speed internet services and enter the digital age without requiring a fibre connection.

“This is expected to greatly support people working remotely during this era of social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and will boost South Africa’s transition to a digital economy. We congratulate MTN on the successful upgrade of its network that enabled their transition to the 5G era,” said Fan.

Giovanni Chiarelli, CTIO of MTN South Africa, said, “The 5G technology is also expected to contribute significantly to the country’s economy and will play a role in the realisation of South Africa’s digital transformation goals. An excellent 5G network will enable us to provide more exciting services and to offer the ultimate service experience to MTN customers."

MTN launched its 5G network in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth.

During a YouTube livestream media launch, speed tests were performed at various locations in Johannesburg showing download speeds in excess of 600Mbps, with latencies averaging 15ms demonstrated.

Tests performed by media reported download speeds peaking in excess of 700Mbps and upload speeds peaking at 100Mbps.