Monday, March 3, 2025

MTN Nigeria and Huawei Complete World’s First Commercial FDD Tri-Band Massive MIMO Deployment

This breakthrough has led to a 90% surge in LTE traffic volume and a 252% increase in user-perceived rates during peak hours over the previous 4T4R setup. The deployment has enabled MTN to achieve its goals of improving network capacity and user experience.

Over the past two years, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has undergone a rapid transition from 2G/3G to 4G, accompanied by a surge in new digital services. This transition has doubled traffic demand on MTN Nigeria’s networks, leading to an average PRB usage of 60% and over 90% in hotspot areas. To meet these growing needs, MTN Nigeria and Huawei have collaborated to scale the adoption of single-band FDD Massive MIMO. They successfully introduced the world’s first FDD Massive MIMO six-sector site, which has significantly improved network spectral efficiency and capacity.

This commercial FDD tri-band Massive MIMO solution, the first of its kind worldwide, is a significant milestone in mobile network development. Huawei had only recently announced the global launch of this solution that features a downlink LTE capacity three to four times higher than the previous 4T4R setup. Furthermore, it can amplify capacity by up to 7 times as the networks evolve to NR. The solution uses the industry-leading true wideband and compact dipole technologies to implement integrated deployment of 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz, and 2.6 GHz bands while maintaining the same device size as traditional dual-band Massive MIMO. This design adds frequency bands and power without increasing weight or frontal area of devices, ensuring excellent performance and easy deployment.

Through long-term collaboration and innovation, MTN and Huawei have achieved remarkable success in the FDD Massive MIMO field. The world’s first commercial FDD tri-band Massive MIMO significantly enhances network performance, enabling MTN to deliver an exceptional user experience. Both parties will continue to drive technological innovation, tackle key challenges in network development, and provide superior communication services to users.

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