ZTE & MTN Launch World’s First 5-Band RRU in Africa

ZTE Corporation and African telecommunications leader MTN Group have successfully executed the first commercial deployment of a 5-band Remote Radio Unit (RRU) in the world.

The milestone achievement, launched in South Africa’s Western Cape province, represents a significant leap forward in radio frequency technology.

The project provides a powerful catalyst for the technological evolution of the entire telecommunications industry across Africa.

Addressing Africa’s growing network demands

South Africa stands as one of the continent’s most significant and technically advanced telecommunications markets.

With a population of more than 60 million, operator MTN delivers extensive LTE coverage to more than 97% of the nation.

Such a wide-reaching network demonstrates a deep commitment to providing high-quality communication services, connecting even the most remote communities.

However, the extensive coverage brings operational challenges.

As demand for multi-band and multi-module services continues to surge, network operators face mounting pressure on their infrastructure.

Key concerns include escalating energy consumption, finite tower space and an increase in structural load on masts.

The factors present considerable obstacles to the efficient evolution of mobile networks.

MTN’s strategic deployment of the innovative 5-band RRU confronts these critical challenges head-on, offering a forward-thinking solution for sustainable network expansion.

A breakthrough in radio unit consolidation

At the heart of the project is an advanced RRU powered by ZTE’s own internally designed chipset.

The hardware’s main innovation is its ability to integrate all of MTN South Africa’s low and mid-frequency (FDD) bands into a single, compact unit.

The operational impact of such consolidation is immediate and substantial.

The solution enables operators to reduce the number of RAN radio frequency modules on each tower by 50%.

The consolidation leads to a corresponding 23% decrease in total equipment weight and an 18% reduction in wind resistance.

The impressive optimisations streamline the entire site construction process, significantly reduce deployment complexity and crucially, liberate valuable space on crowded towers for future upgrades.

Driving unprecedented energy efficiency

Beyond the physical efficiencies, the 5-band RRU delivers remarkable gains in power management.

ZTE’s innovative Super-N amplifier architecture employs dense networks of power amplifiers that feature on-demand activation.

The system effectively solves the efficiency bottleneck found in traditional Doherty power amplifier designs, maintaining exceptionally high efficiency across various network loads.

The real-world result is a landmark 42.7% reduction in overall site power consumption and a 45.8% improvement in energy efficiency, measured in Watt-hours per gigabyte (Wh/GB).

These figures not only support South Africa’s mission to build a green, low-carbon society but to establish a new sustainability benchmark for the global industry.

The deployment powerfully demonstrates the potential for technological innovation to balance economic benefits with environmental responsibility perfectly.

A strategic vision for Africa’s digital future

Rami Farah, Chief Technology Officer at MTN South Africa, says: “MTN’s collaboration with ZTE for the world’s first commercial deployment of a 5-band RRU effectively addresses the multiple challenges faced by operators in terms of coverage, capacity, cost and energy efficiency.

"It helps develop a new, replicable and highly integrated solution for Africa and even the global market, accelerating the evolution of telecommunications networks towards greater efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, continuously injecting essential momentum into Africa’s digital economy and promoting African telecommunication technologies to a higher level.”

ZTE and MTN remain steadfast in their commitment to advancing Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure, focusing on energy conservation, emissions reduction and fostering the digital economy.

Guided by a shared vision of ‘protecting nature with technology and the future with innovation’, the two companies will continue their partnership to bridge the digital divide, build smarter networks and contribute to sustainable economic growth across Africa.