MTN First In Africa To Deploy DSS On 5G Live Network

Huawei says MTN has become the first operator in Africa to deploy dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) on a 5G live network, after it did so in South Africa. Huawei said DSS supports services that require high bandwidths such as 4K video, multi-angle video, and AR/VR services, and provides broadband for families and SMEs. MTN uses DSS between 4G and 5G in the 2.1 GHz band.

The 2.1 GHz spectrum can provide wider coverage due to its lower frequency spectrum characteristics, the company added. MTN deployed 5G on the 2.1 GHz band using DSS, and is also using the 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz bands. The 3.5 GHz or C-band is the global mainstream spectrum for 5G deployment, and Massive MIMO is the mainstream product form. MTN’s 5G deployment in Johannesburg uses Huawei Massive MIMO.

According to Huawei, the millimeter-wave band has abundant spectrum resources and can provide a huge capacity to provide services for hotspots and home broadband. MTN uses 100 MHz millimeter wave spectrum resources to provide broadband resources for enterprises and SMEs, which can use high speed internet services and enter the digital age without requiring a fibre connection.