MTN Nigeria has announced a significant breakthrough in telecommunications, successfully testing the first commercial 25Gbps full-duplex microwave link in Sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with Huawei Nigeria.
Conducted on the E-band frequency spectrum, this innovative test utilised advanced Full-Duplex technology. The microwave link operates at 80 GHz, achieving a remarkable data transmission rate of 25 Gbps through the 1000 MHz E-band spectrum. This represents a fourfold increase in spectral efficiency compared to traditional E-band solutions, setting a new standard for capacity and performance in the region.
This advancement offers a vital opportunity to enhance ultra-high-speed connectivity and advanced mobile services nationwide. Yahaya Ibrahim, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, hailed the 25Gbps full-duplex microwave link as a transformative achievement.
“We take pride in being the first mobile operator within the MTN Group, and across Sub-Saharan Africa, to test this advanced microwave data transmission technology. This underscores our strong commitment to innovation and the continuous evolution of our network capabilities in response to a rapidly advancing digital landscape,” Ibrahim stated.
He further emphasised, “By utilising next-generation solutions and fostering strategic partnerships, we are improving network quality, enhancing customer experience, and solidifying our position for sustained growth and leadership in an increasingly interconnected world.”
With the rising demand for video streaming, augmented reality (AR), and low-latency applications, the need for higher-capacity, faster communication infrastructure is more pressing than ever. The Full Duplex Radio Link solution directly addresses this demand.
Designed for deployment within 5G network infrastructure, this pioneering technology allows data transmission rates of up to 50 Gbps over 2000 MHz per link. This is made possible by its high-isolation integrated antenna structure, advanced spectrum efficiency, and robust interference-prevention algorithms.
The test conducted by MTN confirmed a 25Gbps capacity at 1000 MHz, based on available spectrum resources, marking a substantial advancement for Nigeria’s telecommunications industry. This achievement highlights the country’s leadership in adopting and spearheading cutting-edge digital solutions, further establishing its role as a regional leader in ICT infrastructure across Africa.
Additionally, this milestone showcases MTN Nigeria’s dedication to providing state-of-the-art technology solutions and enabling unprecedented connectivity speeds, thereby accelerating digital transformation for businesses and individuals alike.
By utilising the 70/80 GHz spectrum, the new microwave link ensures unparalleled capacity and performance, facilitating high-efficiency, high-quality, ultra-fast data transmission to support next-generation 5G services.
The Full-Duplex system enables simultaneous two-way data transmission across both frequency pairs in each direction. This is a marked improvement over conventional systems, which typically operate with a single frequency in each direction at any given time. This innovation significantly boosts connection efficiency and speed, fulfilling the demands of 5G communications.
