MTN and technology giant ZTE Corporation have announced three major joint innovations in South Africa that will enhance network performance and customer experience.
These innovations include a quad-band massive MIMO pilot site, the world’s first commercially deployed five-band radio, and a 5G-Advanced integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) pilot.
The quad-band massive MIMO pilot site is located at the Waterfront harbour area in Cape Town, South Africa’s strongest city in terms of tourism.
This site provides wide coverage from 700MHz to 3.5GHz and supports 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and Internet of Things (IoT) services. According to ZTE, this approach increases capacity and coverage while reducing energy consumption, resulting in a greener network. It also meets growing demands for streaming, gaming, and enterprise connectivity.
Thanks to the five-band ultra-broadband radio, the 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 2100MHz bands are combined into a single unit.
This reduces site complexity, lowers energy consumption, and optimises space usage. As a result, consistent coverage and better voice and data quality can be delivered even in remote rural areas.
MTN and ZTE have also successfully tested a 5G-Advanced integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) pilot at Hout Bay Port, a coastal and harbour town in the Western Cape.
The system combines high-speed connectivity with environmental sensing to support port operations and marine ecology management.
Having worked together since 2014, the two companies aim to deepen their cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, automation, and next-generation networks with these new advancements.