Cell C has made history by securing the second spot in the best network operator ranking in South Africa, surpassing Vodacom for the first time. This revelation came from the recent MyBroadband Insights Q1 2025 Mobile Network Quality Report, which analyzed data from 306,299 speed tests conducted by 6,999 mobile data users across the country between January 1, 2025, and March 31, 2025.
MTN emerged as the top-performing network in the country, maintaining its reputation for superior network quality. With an average download speed of 82.79 Mbps, MTN outperformed its competitors, including Cell C (63.95 Mbps), Vodacom (61.36 Mbps), Telkom (46.60 Mbps), and Rain (22.79 Mbps). The report attributed MTN’s success to its ongoing investment in network infrastructure, particularly for LTE and 5G networks.
MTN’s dominance extended to major metropolitan areas such as Tshwane, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, and Mangaung, where it outperformed other networks in terms of network performance.
Despite its strong 5G performance, Vodacom fell to third place in the ranking, behind Cell C. Cell C’s rise to second place was fueled by its successful customer migration to a virtual radio access network hosted by MTN and optimization strategies aimed at enhancing network performance and competitiveness.
Rain, on the other hand, continued to lag behind its competitors due to its focus on fixed-wireless broadband rather than mobile services, resulting in relatively poor mobile network quality.
In addition to speed and 5G coverage, the report also considered factors such as upload speed and latency to determine each network’s Network Quality Score. MTN led the pack with a score of 9.92, followed by Cell C (8.07), Vodacom (7.21), Telkom (6.15), and Rain (4.44).
The testing process involved using high-end smartphones with the latest technologies, as well as mid-range devices to provide a holistic view of the user experience on each network.
Overall, the report highlights the shifting landscape of mobile network operators in South Africa, with Cell C’s impressive performance signaling a new era of competition in the industry.
