MTN 5G Locations and Speed Test (All You Need To Know)

MTN Nigeria soft launched its 5G network in August 2022, with an open 5G pilot made available to the public in places around Lagos and Abuja. Later, the network launched commercially with expanded 5G availability for customers. The telecom operator stated that it has installed 127 5G stations and is trying to achieve statewide coverage. We went into town to test MTN Nigeria’s 5G network and returned with some intriguing findings and observations.

We utilized a 5G smartphone in our testing and the Ookla speed test app the whole time. The examinations were carried out in Lagos because that is where we are. If we discover individuals willing to do testing in additional cities for us, we would gladly incorporate their input in our MTN 5G evaluation.

MTN 5G Locations:

We traveled via Oregun, Opebi, and Allen Avenue from Ikeja City Mall to search for 5G coverage for our testing. When the network symbol changed from 4G LTE to 5G along Kudirat Abiola Way in Oregun, we won the jackpot. We then started doing our speed tests. The 5G icon remained on the phone across Opebi, Allen, and Obafemi Awolowo Way until Coca-Cola, when it vanished.

There is 5G coverage in Alausa, Ikeja, from Access Bank to the Police Divisional Headquarters. It probably goes all the way to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, but I took the right turn towards the House of Assembly. The Ikeja Electric office is also served, and coverage reaches all the way to the crossroads next to JJT Park. And it reappeared at the park, where I had a paltry 61.7Mbps readout on a 5G connection. I didn’t get it to Ndubuisi Kanu Park to see what was going on.

As you walk down Governor’s Road and Governor’s Avenue from the park, the 5G signal fades. Everything is 4G LTE. Clearly, coverage in that area has to be enhanced.

MTN 5G coverage is also available in the following Lagos neighborhoods: Computer Village, Anifowose, Opebi, Ikeja GRA, Murtala Muhammad Airport, Magboro, Ilupeju-Mushin-Itire, Palm Groove, Surulere, Ebute-Metta, Yaba, Onike-UNILAG-Abule Oja-Yabatech axis, Lagos Island, Ikoyi, Banana Island, Victoria Island, MTN Nigeria says it is trying to expand its network.

Update: We have validated reports from Ibadan, Oyo State, of MTN 5G speeds reaching 405Mbps in the Agodi region.

MTN 5G Speed Test: How Fast Is It?

And this is the most intriguing bit, isn’t it? Everything about 5G revolves on speed (well, and capacity). However, for the layperson, speed is everything, therefore we will concentrate on speed. The following are the aggregate results of our MTN 5G speed tests:

145.19 Mbps
327.25 Mbps
448.56 Mbps
453.49 Mbps
614.69 Mbps
928.51 Mbps

During our testing, the slowest speed was 145.19 Mbps, while the maximum speed was 928.51 Mbps. In our tests, MTN 5G provides download speeds of up to nearly 1Gbps at its peak. We received the fastest speeds generally in low-density areas, however a place along Allen Avenue surprised us with a download speed of 614.69 Mbps. The video below is a compilation of our speed testing.

As you can see, the speeds you receive are determined on your location and time. Business or industrial sites, for example, are unlikely to receive the best speeds unless MTN explicitly improves the network for such sectors. Just keep in mind that speed is determined by a variety of things. Another factor is distance from the transmitter: the farther you are from the transmitter, the more likely you will obtain lower speeds, all else being equal.

MTN 5G Review: How Much Data Does 5G Use?

You should be concerned about how much data usage your use of 5G will incur. The answer is: a great deal. A great deal. It’s not that 5G eats data. Because it enables quicker downloads and uploads, more data travels through the 5G pipe per second than via the 4G pipe. For example, we did X number of tests in less than 30 minutes and received an alert from the phone indicating that we had used up 13.93GB of data. My spouse was almost taken aback.

How could 13 GB of data go in less than 30 minutes, despite us doing nothing more than conducting speed tests on the phone? For one thing, a 5G speed test necessitates the transmission of bigger chunks of data in order to obtain an accurate assessment of the connection speed. A 5G speed test necessitates the usage of more data than a 4G speed test. That alone is significant. For a while after receiving your 5G phone or router, you will be tempted to keep conducting tests only to marvel at the speed of 5G. Feel free to succumb to that temptation; just make sure you have a substantial data plan to back it up, or you’ll wind up in tears.

Conclusion of the MTN 5G Review

Finally, MTN Nigeria’s 5G network is operational. It provides decent to excellent speeds depending on a variety of conditions. Running network speed tests should be done with caution since it will cost you a lot more data than you are used to. To use MTN 5G, you must have a 5G-compatible phone or an MTN 5G router. Thank you for taking the time to read our MTN 5G review.