MTN has followed its rival network in opening up its long-term evolution (LTE) network to iPhone 5 users, who can now access the fourth-generation technology if they are in an LTE coverage area, and after updating their carrier settings.
This comes just over two months after Apple released an updated version of its mobile operating system, iOS 6.1, which added LTE capabilities for 36 new iPhone carriers - including SA's largest mobile network Vodacom.
MTN subscribers need to enable the LTE service on their phone in order to use it. Both Vodacom and MTN class LTE as a value-added service (VAS).
A full list of supported LTE carriers for iPhone 5 can be seen here.
LTE coverage
LTE (also referred to loosely as "4G" by marketing channels) gives users higher speeds and lower latency, but the technology's coverage in SA is not yet pervasive.
MTN launched LTE on a commercial level in November last year, with coverage in three of SA's four main cities - Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. Within these cities, only certain areas have LTE coverage (Sandton, Rosebank, Fourways, Roodepoort, Fairlands and OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg; Menlyn, Centurion, Pretoria East, Hatfield and Midrand in Pretoria; and Westville, Pinetown, Kloof, Hillcrest, Tongaat, Queensburgh, Amanzimtoti King Shaka International Airport and Umhlanga in and around Durban).
MTN says it "modernised" 3 400 base stations in preparation for LTE and will look to add more base stations, as well as extend the service to Cape Town, this year.
To check street specific coverage, users can visit MTN's street level coverage map.
MTN had not responded to queries relating to added costs for LTE as a VAS by the time of publication.
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