The mission was simple: get Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, and Telkom Mobile SIM cards, an LTE-capable smartphone, pick several locations around Gauteng, and see which network gave us the best data download and upload speeds.
Once the SIMs were obtained and loaded with data, we chose an iPhone 5 as the platform to conduct our speed tests. The A1429 model running iOS 8.1.3 was used, along with Ookla’s Speed Test application.
The iPhone was set to connect to LTE, or 4G in Vodacom’s case, if a signal was available.
Method
Each SIM was placed in the phone and given time to find a signal. Once the signal was acquired, the phone was left for a minute to ensure it had a solid connection.
Six speed tests were conducted on each network at each location. The fastest and slowest results, as per download speed, were discounted and the remaining four were used to obtain a download, upload, and ping average.
The results for each area are tabulated and ranked – based on average download speed – below.
It should be noted that the iPhone 5 used is not compatible with Telkom’s LTE network.
Test 1 – Midstream Estate
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Field Test 1 – Midstream Estates, Centurion (10:30 – 11:10)
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| Tests | Test 1 | Test 2 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 18.21Mbps | 14.49Mbps | 46ms | 10.96Mbps | 10.38Mbps | 51ms |
| MTN | 26.01Mbps | 3.67Mbps | 29ms | 22.43Mbps | 3.75Mbps | 25ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 7.88Mbps | 2.03Mbps | 39ms | 7.71Mbps | 1.72Mbps | 35ms |
| Cell C | 7.37Mbps | 1.7Mbps | 46ms | 7.49Mbps | 0.96Mbps | 40ms |
| Tests | Test 3 | Test 4 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 9.09Mbps | 9.12Mbps | 35ms | 15.35Mbps | 10.62Mbps | 32ms |
| MTN | 26.34Mbps | 12.85Mbps | 27ms | 23.31Mbps | 4.13Mbps | 24ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 8.64Mbps | 2.53Mbps | 35ms | 8.62Mbps | 2.97Mbps | 21ms |
| Cell C | 8.15Mbps | 3.16Mbps | 44ms | 8.33Mbps | 1.95Mbps | 58ms |
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Average Speed in Midstream Estates
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| Network | Down | Up | Ping |
| MTN | 24.52Mbps | 6.1Mbps | 26ms |
| Vodacom | 13.4Mbps | 11.15Mbps | 41ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 8.21Mbps | 2.31Mbps | 33ms |
| Cell C | 7.84Mbps | 1.94Mbps | 47ms |

Test 2 – Sandton
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Field Test 2 – Sandown, Sandton (11:45- 12:15)
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| Tests | Test 1 | Test 2 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 13.9Mbps | 3.62Mbps | 35ms | 15.93Mbps | 3.53Mbps | 474ms |
| MTN | 24.87Mbps | 8.74Mbps | 40ms | 24.98Mbps | 8.64Mbps | 40ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 1.39Mbps | 0.65Mbps | 38ms | 1.64Mbps | 0.14Mbps | 65ms |
| Cell C | 6.18Mbps | 3.59Mbps | 36ms | 5.41Mbps | 3.37Mbps | 36ms |
| Tests | Test 3 | Test 4 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 10.18Mbps | 16.23Mbps | 38ms | 12.16Mbps | 14.39Mbps | 30ms |
| MTN | 14.27Mbps | 8.95Mbps | 41ms | 11.15Mbps | 8.41Mbps | 42ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 1.75Mbps | 0.51Mbps | 34ms | 2.16Mbps | 0.76Mbps | 41ms |
| Cell C | 6.19Mbps | 3.62Mbps | 41ms | 5.09Mbps | 1.78Mbps | 29ms |
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Average Speed
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| Network | Down | Up | Ping |
| MTN | 18.81Mbps | 8.67Mbps | 41ms |
| Vodacom | 13.04Mbps | 9.44Mbps | 144ms |
| Cell C | 5.72Mbps | 3.09Mbps | 45ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 1.74Mbps | 0.52Mbps | 36ms |

Test 3 – Midrand
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Field Test 3 – Midridge Park, Midrand (13:00 – 13:30)
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| Tests | Test 1 | Test 2 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 1.99Mbps | 1.02Mbps | 33ms | 2.03Mbps | 0.21Mbps | 74ms |
| MTN | 7.59Mbps | 9.45Mbps | 33ms | 8.8Mbps | 8.43Mbps | 29ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 0.15Mbps | 0.34Mbps | 528ms | 1.59Mbps | 0.26Mbps | 831ms |
| Cell C | 0.13Mbps | 0.23Mbps | 147ms | 0.51Mbps | 0.03Mbps | 102ms |
| Tests | Test 3 | Test 4 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 2.34Mbps | 0.91Mbps | 57ms | 2.53Mbps | 0.7Mbps | 48ms |
| MTN | 6.37Mbps | 8.76Mbps | 32ms | 6.89Mbps | 9.45Mbps | 32ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 1.45Mbps | 0.43Mbps | 386ms | 0.03Mbps | 0.49Mbps | 317ms |
| Cell C | 0.42Mbps | 0.03Mbps | 181ms | 0.63Mbps | 0.25Mbps | 131ms |
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Average Speed
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| Network | Down | Up | Ping |
| MTN | 7.41Mbps | 9.02Mbps | 32ms |
| Vodacom | 2.22Mbps | 0.71Mbps | 53ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 0.81Mbps | 0.38Mbps | 516ms |
| Cell C | 0.42Mbps | 0.14Mbps | 140ms |
It should be noted that when testing Cell C in Midrand, there were several “Latency Test Failed” results. Cell C was tested 10 times with the Ookla app, 6 of which rendered the latency failure result. The remaining four results are the speeds in the table above.

Test 4 – Pretoria
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Field Test 4 – Brooklyn, Pretoria (18:00 – 18:30)
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| Tests | Test 1 | Test 2 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 14.6Mbps | 8.43Mbps | 26ms | 11.71Mbps | 7.74Mbps | 36ms |
| MTN | 27.17Mbps | 7.47Mbps | 34ms | 23.58Mbps | 8.94Mbps | 31ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 3.27Mbps | 0.92Mbps | 83ms | 1.56Mbps | 0.47Mbps | 132ms |
| Cell C | 6.36Mbps | 3.42Mbps | 31ms | 6.28Mbps | 1.86Mbps | 56ms |
| Tests | Test 3 | Test 4 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 9.96Mbps | 8.46Mbps | 31ms | 11.58Mbps | 15.72Mbps | 41ms |
| MTN | 21.54Mbps | 8.58Mbps | 33ms | 25.17Mbps | 9.12Mbps | 29ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 3.25Mbps | 0.29Mbps | 100ms | 2.14Mbps | 0.35Mbps | 99ms |
| Cell C | 6.12Mbps | 3.36Mbps | 31ms | 5.58Mbps | 1.89Mbps | 31ms |
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Average Speed
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| Network | Down | Up | Ping |
| MTN | 24.37Mbps | 8.53Mbps | 32ms |
| Vodacom | 11.96Mbps | 10.09Mbps | 34ms |
| Cell C | 6.09Mbps | 2.63Mbps | 37ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 2.56Mbps | 0.51Mbps | 104ms |

Test 5 – MyBroadband Office
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Field Test 5 – MyBroadband Office, Top Secret Location (19:00 – 19:30)
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| Tests | Test 1 | Test 2 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 13.8Mbps | 16.47Mbps | 31ms | 15.42Mbps | 18.47Mbps | 32ms |
| MTN | 20.96Mbps | 23.18Mbps | 107ms | 19.25Mbps | 23.39Mbps | 24ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 1.27Mbps | 1.35Mbps | 29ms | 2.15Mbps | 2.50Mbps | 37ms |
| Cell C | 5.44Mbps | 0.17Mbps | 66ms | 6.19Mbps | 0.91Mbps | 68ms |
| Tests | Test 3 | Test 4 | ||||
| Network | Down | Up | Ping | Down | Up | Ping |
| Vodacom | 25.24Mbps | 20.05Mbps | 29ms | 15.93Mbps | 16.91Mbps | 29ms |
| MTN | 23.38Mbps | 23.64Mbps | 21ms | 22.12Mbps | 23.52Mbps | 24ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 2.25Mbps | 2.17Mbps | 28ms | 2.59Mbps | 2.49Mbps | 34ms |
| Cell C | 6.95Mbps | 0.9Mbps | 66ms | 5.83Mbps | 0.92Mbps | 65ms |
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Average Speed
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| Network | Down | Up | Ping |
| MTN | 21.43Mbps | 23.43Mbps | 44ms |
| Vodacom | 17.6Mbps | 17.98Mbps | 30ms |
| Cell C | 6.1Mbps | 0.73Mbps | 32ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 2.07Mbps | 2.13Mbps | 66ms |

Overall Average Speeds
Taking the average speeds from the five tests and averaging them out one last time, here are the overall results from the field test.
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Overall Average Speed
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| Network | Down | Up | Ping |
| MTN | 19.31Mbps | 11.15Mbps | 35ms |
| Vodacom | 11.64Mbps | 9.87Mbps | 60ms |
| Cell C | 5.23Mbps | 1.71Mbps | 60ms |
| Telkom Mobile | 3.08Mbps | 0.89Mbps | 151ms |
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