Ericsson and MTN South Africa Redefine 5G Excellence with Record-Breaking Core Upgrade

In a landmark achievement for global telecommunications, Ericsson and MTN South Africa have executed the world’s fastest and most seamless upgrade of a cloud-native 5G core network, setting both global and African records in early 2025. This transformative overhaul, rooted in a three-decade partnership, modernizes South Africa’s mobile infrastructure, delivering reduced latency, enhanced data throughput, and a fortified user experience. As the continent’s digital economy accelerates, this milestone positions South Africa as a beacon of 5G innovation, promising ripple effects for businesses, consumers, and the broader African tech ecosystem.

The upgrade, part of MTN’s Unified Cloud Acceleration (MUNA) strategy, leverages Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core solution, integrating packet core functions with advanced user management tools atop the Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution (CNIS). This cloud-native architecture virtualizes and containerizes critical components, enabling unparalleled agility. The project’s audacity lies in its execution: Ericsson’s team performed the world’s first In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) on a Packet Core Gateway node with an integrated firewall, managing 2.52 million active sessions and 40 gigabits per second of data without a single disruption. This feat, a global first, was complemented by Africa’s inaugural ISSU, cementing the continent’s place in telecom innovation.

Further elevating the project, MTN and Ericsson deployed the continent’s first Cloud Core Policy Controller (CCPC), a dynamic tool for real-time policy enforcement and charging. This replaces rigid legacy systems, enabling tailored services like premium low-latency plans for enterprises. Another African first, the Container-as-a-Service Rolling Upgrade (CaaS-RU), saw the Cloud Container Distribution layer updated seamlessly while handling nearly 2 million live sessions. These zero-downtime upgrades, executed on a live production network, underscore a commitment to reliability that sets a new industry standard.

For South African consumers, the benefits are immediate. Latency reductions enhance applications from video streaming to augmented reality, while soaring data throughput supports faster downloads, empowering remote work and e-learning. Businesses stand to gain significantly: improved network resilience enables smarter IoT deployments for industries like manufacturing and agriculture, while cloud efficiencies cut operational costs by up to 30%. Solomzi Mnyaka, MTN South Africa’s General Manager for Network Services Engineering, emphasized the strategic impact: “This upgrade is a cornerstone for digitizing our operations, enabling faster service launches and automated workflows that keep subscribers ahead.” Ericsson’s South Africa Head, Sandile Dhlomo, framed it as a catalyst for the region: “This strengthens Africa’s digital backbone, driving scale and resilience under our #AfricaInMotion vision.”

The upgrade primes MTN for 5G Standalone (SA), the next frontier where synchronized core and radio access promise ultra-low latency below 1 millisecond. This could unlock transformative use cases, from autonomous vehicles in urban hubs to AI-driven farming in rural areas. However, challenges persist: South Africa’s spectrum allocation must accelerate, and rural backhaul infrastructure requires investment to bridge digital divides. For investors, the project signals opportunity—MTN’s enhanced capabilities could bolster its market position, while Ericsson reinforces its dominance in a global 5G market projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030.This collaboration exemplifies how strategic technology investments yield exponential returns. By embracing cloud-native architecture, MTN not only enhances user experience but also positions itself for agile service innovation. For other African operators, this serves as a blueprint: long-term vendor partnerships, paired with bold modernization, can elevate entire markets. As South Africa’s mobile penetration nears 90%, this upgrade ensures connectivity becomes a driver of economic growth, from fintech to smart cities.

In a world where digital infrastructure defines competitiveness, Ericsson and MTN have set a gold standard for what’s possible.