At the Zambia Mobile Congress 2026 in Lusaka, MTN Zambia, in collaboration with Huawei, announced the launch of the world’s first commercial indoor 5G solution integrating five frequency bands into a single unit. This landmark event took place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre. At the same venue, MTN Zambia began its first commercial 5G network rollout in November 2022, showcasing the country’s ongoing advancements in telecommunications.
The innovative system combines five essential mobile frequency bands—1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz, 2.3 GHz, TDD 2.6 GHz, and 3.5 GHz—into a compact unit known as a pRRU (passive Radio Remote Unit). This design enables significant space and resource efficiency, eliminating the need for multiple units and the complex installations typically required for indoor networks. The system can achieve peak speeds of up to 1 Gbps, enhancing both coverage and capacity, while being easily upgradeable to 5G-A, the future evolution of 5G, without hardware replacement.
The advent of this technology addresses a long-standing challenge: the disparity in mobile performance between outdoor and indoor environments. Over 80% of global mobile traffic is generated indoors; however, indoor networks have historically lagged due to signal attenuation caused by walls and building materials. The 3.5 GHz band, critical for 5G capacity, suffers significantly in such scenarios.
Traditionally, multiple antenna systems have been installed indoors for each frequency band, resulting in costly, labour-intensive setups. The innovative LampSite platform from Huawei redefines this approach, allowing easy installation of a single unit throughout existing infrastructure while software manages its operations efficiently.
The Mulungushi International Conference Centre, a key venue for government meetings and international events, had been struggling with inconsistent indoor connectivity during busy days. The new deployment means users will now experience reliable indoor coverage and speeds, with a 65% reduction in project cycle time and lower maintenance requirements.
This five-band deployment not only sets a precedent in Zambia but positions African telecom operators like MTN Zambia as leaders in technological advancement on the global stage. MTN Zambia’s commitment, as stated by CTO Thomas Ngoma, reflects a dedication to delivering high-quality user experiences, aligning Zambia with international trends in network innovation.
