Chinese vendor forces with Thai operators to complete scaled commercial adoption of the FDD dual-band Massive MIMO solution in Bangkok.

November 20, 2019

3 Min Read

BANGKOK -- Huawei has joined forces with Thailand telecom operators to complete scaled commercial adoption of the FDD dual-band Massive MIMO solution in Bangkok.

The solution allows a single unit to achieve Massive MIMO deployment and provide services on the 1.8 GHz and 2.1 GHz bands, reducing antenna installation space and helping telecom operators to simplify network deployment. In addition, the original LTE network can take advantage of a tripled capacity increase. The success marks an important new milestone for Thailand telecom operators seeking innovative applications of FDD technology in local 4G markets.

Thailand is a leading emerging market in terms of MBB business. Local LTE networks have been seen significant capability enhancements, enabling telecom operators to continuously improve both service experience and customer satisfaction.

The rapid growth of MBB services creates a soaring increase in LTE data traffic, with 4G traffic across the entire network growing by 51% over last year, placing mobile networks under enormous pressure to provide sufficient capacity. This trend compels telecom operators to unlock the full potential of existing site and spectrum resources, while also reducing site operation and maintenance costs.

FDD dual-band Massive MIMO offers telecom operators in Thailand a perfect solution to further enhance network capabilities and persistently improve both service quality and user experience.

Streamlining end-to-end network operation processes from marketing to complaint handling and optimization, FDD dual-band Massive MIMO allows operators to easily fulfill the extensive capacity demands from users in hotspot areas. The new technology also supports agile expansion, increasing cell capacity by 1.8 times and busy-hour speeds by 2.6 times over the previous 4T6S solution. This level of enhanced performance enables telecom operators to exceed the requirements of hotspot areas experiencing continuous traffic surges.

Massive MIMO is essential for carriers seeking to improve capacity, enhance coverage, and mitigate interference during evolution to 5G, while simplifying site selection and acquisition. The units involved in this round of scaled deployment are the industry's first FDD dual-band Massive MIMO modules, boasting the highest specification and integration among FDD ultra-large scale MIMO systems.

With a number of cutting-edge technologies, including accurate channel reporting, user scheduling, and multi-user precoding, Massive MIMO allows the same spectrum resources to serve multiple users simultaneously, essentially tripling capacity for existing LTE cells. The application of 5G technology on existing LTE networks has proven extremely effective for telecom operators hoping to address capacity challenges in hotspot areas through improved performance. In addition, the FDD dual-band Massive MIMO modules support smooth transition to 5G NR through software upgrades.

Thailand has always been a pioneering innovator of the emerging markets, embracing the forefront of industry technology. The scaled adoption of the FDD dual-band massive MIMO solution is an example of the steps taken by Thailand's telecom operators to address the growing pressure of network capacity. It also shows their resolution to continuously explore to 4G network evolution innovations. In 2019, Huawei has offered a series of high-value solutions to enable Thailand's telecom operators to address the issues of limited coverage, insufficient capacity, and expensive operation and maintenance, while also preparing for the transition to 5G at a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

As customers in Thailand commented: "Right now, 4G networks are still showing great service growth, and evolution to 5G is imminent. At this important juncture, we will continue to adopt innovative solutions to build high-quality 4G networks and improve user experience, while exploring the evolution to 5G."

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd

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