PRESS RELEASE: U Mobile Sdn Bhd (U Mobile) and Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Huawei Malaysia) have successfully completed the first live test of 8T8R using Huawei’s BladeAAU solution in Malaysia.
The aim of the initiative was to evaluate the extent of improvements that users may experience on mid-bands of 1800MHz and 2100MHz using the 8T8R feature on Huawei’s BladeAAU solution.
U Mobile’s 4G LTE network operates on 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz. LTE networks generally utilise the 2T2R or 4T4R feature, a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology to improve transmission reliability and signal quality of radio links with the application of signal processing techniques. This live test used 8T8R, an upgrade from the more commonly used 4T4R to further increase network capacity and coverage, offering a better user experience.
This live test of 8T8R was made possible with Huawei’s Blade AAU Series, which won the Global Mobile (GLOMO) Award of “Best Mobile Network Infrastructure” at the Mobile World Congress 2021. It was recognised for its innovation which integrates Massive MIMO AAU and full-band passive antennas in the most compact way, helping global operators simplify site deployment while also addressing the space challenges associated with network deployment. The introduction of BladeAAU to U Mobile’s network also enables a simplified 5G-ready solution for sites, while optimising CAPEX and OPEX costs.
The live test was conducted at one site in Penang and another site in Johor from August to September 2023. Live data collected demonstrated that the 8T8R feature improved downlink user experience with gains of up to 41% against existing 4G coverage & traffic.
“U Mobile is committed to providing affordable quality experience to our customers. Apart from our wide range of innovative products and services, we also pride ourselves for continuously upgrading and enhancing our network which is already 5G-ready. The most recent testament of our network quality is the recognition by a leading independent network analytics company for having the fastest overall speeds in Malaysia, as well as being a global leader in 5G availability and 5G gaming experience,” highlighted U Mobile’s Chief Technology Officer, Mr Woon Ooi Yuen.
He also explained the importance of this initiative: “In our effort to consistently improve our network, we are delighted to have completed the first live test of 8T8R with Huawei’s Blade AAU in Malaysia to very positive results. We believe initiatives like these reaffirm that our network quality is constantly improving and that we are always providing our customers the best connectivity experience to be had,” said Mr Woon.
“The 8T8R with Blade AAU features innovative hardware and software that delivers significantly enhanced network performance and energy efficiency. It is an ideal solution that is designed to eliminate numerous installation pain points, including that of limited antenna space. At Huawei, we continue to innovate and pursue simple solutions with cutting-edge or game-changing capabilities. This is the core principle driving Huawei’s technological innovations and engineering design, for not just the 8T8R or Blade AAU, but for the entire suite of Huawei solutions,” said Huawei Malaysia Vice President of the Carrier Network Business Group Mr Zac Chow.
This completion of the live test by Huawei Malaysia and U Mobile marks another key milestone in the two companies’ long-term partnership that has spanned over a decade.