MTN, a prominent African operator, and ZTE Corporation, a world leader in integrated information and communication technology solutions, announced Tuesday that the world’s first 5-band Remote Radio Unit (RRU) had been successfully deployed for commercial use.
This milestone, reached in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, marks a major advancement in radio frequency technology worldwide and boosts the continent’s telecommunications sector.
MTN’s commitment to providing top-notch communication services
South Africa is home to over 60 million people and is one of Africa’s biggest and most developed telecommunications markets. MTN offers more than 97 per cent LTE population coverage nationwide.
This broad reach demonstrates MTN’s dedication to providing top-notch communication services to even the most remote communities.
The development of mobile networks may be hampered by network operators’ growing problems with power consumption, tower load, and space constraints, which are brought on by the growing demand for multi-band and multi-module services.
MTN’s 5-band RRU to address problems facing broadband connectivity in SA
MTN’s 5-band RRU, which was recently deployed, directly addresses these problems. This creative solution allows next-generation connectivity to be expanded more quickly and sustainably. It also increases network performance, boosts energy efficiency, and streamlines deployment procedures.
A mobile site needs more room, power, and new hardware to use new frequency bands. The 5-band RRU combines MTN South Africa’s low and mid bands (FDD) into a small device powered by ZTE’s proprietary design chipset.
This integration reduces equipment weight by 23 per cent, wind resistance by 18 per cent, and the number of RAN Radio Frequency modules on towers by 50 per cent.
These optimisations simplify deployment, expedite site construction, and free up valuable tower space.
Furthermore, ZTE’s novel Super-N amplifier architecture uses dense arrays of power amplifiers with on-demand activation capability.
Impressive achievements
It achieves an impressive 42.7 per cent reduction in overall site power consumption and a 45.8 per cent improvement in energy efficiency (Wh/GB) by overcoming the efficiency bottleneck of traditional Doherty architecture and maintaining high efficiency under varying loads.
This helps South Africa create a low-carbon, green society, establishes a new standard for industry sustainability, and shows how technological innovation can balance environmental and economic benefits.
Rami Farah, Chief Technology Officer, MTN South Africa, commented: “MTN’s collaboration with ZTE on the world’s first 5-band RRU commercial deployment effectively addresses multiple challenges faced by operators in terms of coverage, capacity, cost, and energy efficiency. It provides a new, replicable, highly integrated site solution for Africa and even the global market, accelerating the evolution of telecommunication networks towards higher efficiency and lower carbon emissions, continuously injecting core momentum into Africa’s digital economy and promoting African telecommunication technologies to a higher level.”
Luca Shen, CEO of ZTE South Africa, remarked: “ZTE has always regarded product leadership as its core competitiveness and is committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions. The in-depth collaboration with MTN not only achieves mutual benefits and win-win outcomes for both parties but also accelerates the rapid upgrade of South Africa’s telecommunication network, setting a benchmark for digital transformation across the African continent.”
ZTE and MTN’s dedication to developing Africa’s telecom network
ZTE and MTN are unwavering in their resolve to develop Africa’s telecom network, emphasising reducing emissions, conserving energy, and promoting the digital economy.
The two businesses will continue collaborating to close the digital divide, create more intelligent, sustainable networks, and support African social and economic advancement. They will also adhere to the goal of “protecting nature through technology and driving the future through innovation.”
This deployment makes Africa’s digital transformation possible. It also highlights the enormous potential of cutting-edge technology to spur economic expansion and environmental sustainability.