ZTE said it has successfully upgraded Airtel Uganda's 3G network to ramp up performance and prepare for 4G deployment. Airtel Uganda's upgrade constitutes the first nation-wide UMTS900 commercial deployment in Uganda, increases network performance by 20 percent and significantly lowers equipment power consumption and tower renting fees, resulting in lower costs.
The project will result in the deployment of UMTS900 equipment, with Airtel swapping out 674 sites. The deployment involved the adoption of ZTE's multi-mode integrated SDR 2.0 solution which supports evolution into LTE/LTE-A networks. Compared with traditional UMTS2100 3G networks, the UMTS900 3G networks provide wider coverage and an improved indoor 3G experience.
