Johannesburg, 28 Aug 2012
Global ICT solutions provider Huawei has been selected to provide its IP microwave solution for the pioneers of commercial long-term evolution (LTE) networks in Africa.
Huawei yesterday announced it would deploy its “advanced” IP microwave solution for the next-generation backhaul networks of Movicel, in Angola, and Mobile Telecommunications, in Namibia - the first two operators in Africa to provide commercial LTE.
LTE, commonly referred to as “4G”, provides download speeds of more than five times those of the incumbent 3G networks. Earlier this year, Angola announced the deployment of a 4G network in Luanda, while Windhoek, in Namibia, followed suit with its next-generation mobile services.
Qi Feng, GM of Huawei Microwave Domains, says the company is committed to being an instrumental influence in building Africa's telecommunications infrastructure. “As Africa's commercial LTE industry accelerates, Huawei's IP microwave solution serves as a strategic engine for its mobile broadband development.”
Huawei says its LTE-ready IP microwave solution is armed to meet the requirements of LTE backhaul deployment, which involves high bandwidth, smooth service evolution, rapid deployment, and convenient network management. The solution provides up to 2Gbps to each individual operator, supports a simplified clock synchronisation, and allows unified network management for optical transmission and wireless equipment.
In the recent past, Huawei has partnered with operators looking to deploy LTE backhaul networks in Africa and around the world. In Nigeria, 4G Mobile and Zodafones deployed the first commercial TD-LTE network in West Africa and utilised Huawei's IP microwave solution (RTN 900), for their LTE backhaul networks.
Huawei's solution also empowered the LTE backhaul networks of top global operators, including O2, in Germany; T-Mobile, in Austria; and the Saudi Telecom Company, in Saudi Arabia. According to Dell'Oro research, Huawei ranked second in the global microwave market as of Q1 2012.
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