Ethio Telecom and Huawei Roll Out North Africa’s First Tri-Band Massive MIMO Site
The operator's live network statistics show that the solution is performing well. 4G traffic has grown by 70%, indicating the network is comfortably meeting increasing demand
Ethio Telecom and Huawei have made history in North Africa with the region’s first-ever deployment of a GigaAAU FDD tri-band Massive MIMO site. This groundbreaking solution significantly improves Ethio Telecom’s network both in terms of performance and user experience, and serves as a major catalyst for the region’s digital economy.
The operator’s live network statistics show that the solution is performing well. 4G traffic has grown by 70%, indicating the network is comfortably meeting increasing demands. Moreover, the average network speed perceived by users has gone up by an impressive 68%. The users now enjoy smooth video streaming, immersive online gaming, and fast file downloads, even during peak hours.
Huawei’s GigaAAU FDD tri-band Massive MIMO solution supports 720W transmit power, the highest in the industry. It employs cutting-edge Real Wide Bandwidth and Compact Dipole technologies to integrate three bands (1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz, and 2.6 GHz) into a single AAU, enabling one-time tri-band deployment without increasing antennas. To handle complex traffic and interference, the solution utilizes enhanced intelligent beam scheduling and intelligent beamforming to achieve dynamic beam movement with users and intelligent interference avoidance, boosting network speeds per user by 20% to 30%. The solution also features “0 bit 0 watt” energy saving, with off-peak power consumption near zero. So far, the solution has been tested and deployed live on more than 20 networks around the world, earning significant recognition from telecom operators.
Ethio Telecom has been pressing ahead with digital transformation for years with the support of Huawei, all the while strengthening network competitiveness through innovation. On a previous successful deployment, both companies implemented North Africa’s first FDD BladeAAU solution to address network capacity challenges arising from limited antenna installation space. Now, with the commercial rollout of the GigaAAU FDD tri-band Massive MIMO site, the two-party collaboration continues to deliver impactful results, furthering Ethio Telecom’s digital journey and offering users enhanced digital services.
