ZTE and MTN Launch the World's First Commercially Available 5-Band RRU
In a groundbreaking achievement for telecommunications, ZTE Corporation and MTN have officially launched the world's first commercially viable 5-band Remote Radio Unit (RRU). This significant milestone was realized in the Western Cape province of South Africa, marking a pivotal moment in radio frequency technology and delivering a powerful boost to the evolution of the African telecommunications landscape.
South Africa, one of the most advanced telecom markets in Africa, serves over 60 million people, with MTN providing LTE network accessibility to more than 97% of the population. This extensive coverage highlights MTN's commitment to delivering high-quality communication services to even the most remote communities.
As the demand for multi-band and multi-module services continues to rise, network operators face increasing challenges, including power consumption, tower load, and limited space—all factors that can impede mobile network evolution. The newly deployed 5-band RRU tackles these issues head-on. This innovative solution enhances network performance, improves energy efficiency, and simplifies implementation processes, facilitating faster and more sustainable connectivity for next-generation telecoms.
To utilize new frequency bands at a mobile site, operators typically require additional hardware and more space and power. The 5-band RRU from ZTE incorporates all low and mid-band frequencies (FDD) of MTN South Africa into a single compact unit. This integration leads to a 50% reduction in the number of RAN radio frequency modules on towers, a 23% decrease in equipment weight, and an 18% minimization of wind resistance. These optimizations streamline site construction, reduce implementation complexities, and free up valuable tower space.
Moreover, ZTE's innovative Super-N amplifier architecture employs dense arrays of power amplifiers with on-demand activation capabilities. This effectively addresses the efficiency concerns associated with traditional Doherty architecture by maintaining high efficiency across varying loads. As a result, there is a remarkable reduction in total site power consumption by 42.7% and an impressive improvement of 45.8% in energy efficiency (Wh/GB). This development supports South Africa's goal of building a green, low-carbon society and establishes a new benchmark for sustainable advancement within the telecom sector, illustrating the vast potential of technological innovation to balance economic benefits with environmental sustainability.
Rami Farah, Chief Technology Officer at MTN South Africa, commented on this landmark collaboration: "MTN's partnership with ZTE for the world's first commercial deployment of 5-band RRUs effectively addresses multiple challenges faced by operators regarding coverage, capacity, costs, and energy efficiency. This provides a new, repeatable, highly integrated site solution for Africa and the global market, accelerating the evolution of telecom networks towards greater efficiency and lower carbon emissions. It continually stimulates Africa's digital economy while elevating African telecommunications technologies to new heights."
Luca Shen, Chief Executive Officer of ZTE South Africa, emphasized the importance of technological advancement in their collaboration, stating, "ZTE has always regarded product leadership as its core competitiveness and is dedicated to delivering advanced solutions. The profound collaboration with MTN yields mutual benefits and win-win results for both parties while accelerating the rapid upgrade of South Africa's telecommunications network and setting a benchmark for digital transformation across the African continent."
ZTE and MTN remain committed to enhancing Africa's telecommunications infrastructure, focusing on energy conservation, emission reduction, and stimulating the digital economy. Rooted in a shared vision to "protect nature through technology and drive the future through innovation," the two companies will continue to collaborate to bridge the digital divide, build smarter and more sustainable networks, and contribute to economic growth and social progress across Africa.
This commitment signifies an essential advance in enabling Africa's digital transformation and underscores the immense potential of innovative technology to drive economic growth while promoting environmental sustainability.
South Africa, one of the most advanced telecom markets in Africa, serves over 60 million people, with MTN providing LTE network accessibility to more than 97% of the population. This extensive coverage highlights MTN's commitment to delivering high-quality communication services to even the most remote communities.
As the demand for multi-band and multi-module services continues to rise, network operators face increasing challenges, including power consumption, tower load, and limited space—all factors that can impede mobile network evolution. The newly deployed 5-band RRU tackles these issues head-on. This innovative solution enhances network performance, improves energy efficiency, and simplifies implementation processes, facilitating faster and more sustainable connectivity for next-generation telecoms.
To utilize new frequency bands at a mobile site, operators typically require additional hardware and more space and power. The 5-band RRU from ZTE incorporates all low and mid-band frequencies (FDD) of MTN South Africa into a single compact unit. This integration leads to a 50% reduction in the number of RAN radio frequency modules on towers, a 23% decrease in equipment weight, and an 18% minimization of wind resistance. These optimizations streamline site construction, reduce implementation complexities, and free up valuable tower space.
Moreover, ZTE's innovative Super-N amplifier architecture employs dense arrays of power amplifiers with on-demand activation capabilities. This effectively addresses the efficiency concerns associated with traditional Doherty architecture by maintaining high efficiency across varying loads. As a result, there is a remarkable reduction in total site power consumption by 42.7% and an impressive improvement of 45.8% in energy efficiency (Wh/GB). This development supports South Africa's goal of building a green, low-carbon society and establishes a new benchmark for sustainable advancement within the telecom sector, illustrating the vast potential of technological innovation to balance economic benefits with environmental sustainability.
Rami Farah, Chief Technology Officer at MTN South Africa, commented on this landmark collaboration: "MTN's partnership with ZTE for the world's first commercial deployment of 5-band RRUs effectively addresses multiple challenges faced by operators regarding coverage, capacity, costs, and energy efficiency. This provides a new, repeatable, highly integrated site solution for Africa and the global market, accelerating the evolution of telecom networks towards greater efficiency and lower carbon emissions. It continually stimulates Africa's digital economy while elevating African telecommunications technologies to new heights."
Luca Shen, Chief Executive Officer of ZTE South Africa, emphasized the importance of technological advancement in their collaboration, stating, "ZTE has always regarded product leadership as its core competitiveness and is dedicated to delivering advanced solutions. The profound collaboration with MTN yields mutual benefits and win-win results for both parties while accelerating the rapid upgrade of South Africa's telecommunications network and setting a benchmark for digital transformation across the African continent."
ZTE and MTN remain committed to enhancing Africa's telecommunications infrastructure, focusing on energy conservation, emission reduction, and stimulating the digital economy. Rooted in a shared vision to "protect nature through technology and drive the future through innovation," the two companies will continue to collaborate to bridge the digital divide, build smarter and more sustainable networks, and contribute to economic growth and social progress across Africa.
This commitment signifies an essential advance in enabling Africa's digital transformation and underscores the immense potential of innovative technology to drive economic growth while promoting environmental sustainability.
Topics Telecommunications）
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