Worst service ever

Afrihost / MTN Pure LTE – Paying for 50 Mbps but receiving 1.7 Mbps

I am extremely disappointed with the service I have received from Afrihost and MTN.

On 24 April 2026, I ordered an Afrihost Pure LTE Fixed Router with a 50 Mbps package. My order was only delivered on 4 May 2026, and when I received the router there was initially no reception.

I contacted Afrihost's call centre and spent approximately half an hour on the phone while they attempted to get the service working. Eventually, the connection was established.

On 5 May 2026, I performed a speed test and discovered that I was receiving only approximately 1.6 Mbps, despite paying for a 50 Mbps service.

I immediately contacted Afrihost again and requested cancellation because the service I was paying for was not being delivered. I was told that if I cancelled, I would have to pay approximately R1,000 because the router had been subsidised by MTN.

Instead of cancelling, I was asked to reset the router. It took a considerable amount of time for the support agent to get the router configured again. Once it was finally working, my speed was even worse — approximately 0.9 Mbps.

I then spoke to a team leader who provided me with his email address. I sent him screenshots showing the extremely poor speeds.

Afrihost subsequently asked me to return the router so that it could be tested. I returned it, and Afrihost tested the router and informed me that there was nothing wrong with the router. I was then told that a ticket would be opened with MTN to investigate the network.

Since then, I have sent approximately 37 emails regarding this matter.

Despite all of these communications, troubleshooting, testing and the escalation to MTN, I am still receiving approximately 1.7 Mbps.

I have also moved the router to various locations in an attempt to improve the signal. The results remain essentially the same. The router is currently positioned with clear line of sight to the MTN tower, with no obstructions between the router and the tower.

There are no other devices using the connection when I perform these speed tests.

My frustration is not that I expect an LTE connection to deliver exactly 50 Mbps every second. I understand that mobile network performance can vary.

My complaint is that I have been receiving approximately 0.9–1.7 Mbps consistently, which is nowhere near the 50 Mbps package I purchased, and Afrihost has had months of opportunity to resolve the problem.

I have been told that Afrihost cannot guarantee the line speed. However, I have to ask: if Afrihost cannot provide anything remotely close to the service being sold to me, why am I expected to continue paying for a 50 Mbps package?

I have also attempted to escalate the matter by contacting the CEO of Afrihost, but I have received no response.

At this stage, I feel that I have exhausted the normal customer-support process.

What I am asking Afrihost and MTN to do

I want a clear written explanation of:

Why my connection is consistently delivering approximately 1.7 Mbps on a 50 Mbps package. What investigation MTN has actually carried out on the network serving my location. What the results of that investigation were. What Afrihost considers to be an acceptable speed for a customer paying for a 50 Mbps package. What Afrihost intends to do to provide a usable service. If Afrihost and MTN cannot provide the service I purchased, why I should be required to pay a further R1,000 penalty to cancel the contract.

I have given Afrihost multiple opportunities to resolve this matter, including returning the router for testing and supplying numerous screenshots and emails.

I am now asking for a proper resolution rather than another generic response that LTE speeds cannot be guaranteed.

I believe consumers should not be expected to pay month after month for a service that is consistently delivering a tiny fraction of the advertised package speed.

I would appreciate a response from someone with the authority to actually resolve this matter, rather than being sent back to the call centre.

Afrihost and MTN: I am asking you to either fix the service to a reasonable and usable standard, or provide a fair way for me to terminate the service without being penalised for a service that has never performed anywhere near the package I purchased.