China Mobile-backed Pakistani operator Zong has partnered with ZTE to implement a dual-band (1800MHz and 2100MHz) FDD Massive MIMO upgrade on its 4G network.
The first of the new Massive MIMO sites was deployed in September 2021 in Peshawar, and by May Zong and ZTE had extended the upgrade to over 170 sites. The companies have pledged to expand the solution further, allowing Zong to boost spectrum efficiency and network capacity. A statement from ZTE noted that Zong’s 4G data traffic capacity has increased by 21%, while average user throughput is up by 40%.
Despite these positive developments, TeleGeography reports that nationwide power outages in Pakistan have prompted the country’s operators to warn that widespread service shutdowns could be on the cards unless the situation improves.
