Turkcell tests Massive MIMO on live network in preparation for 5G

Turkey’s Turkcell claims to be the ‘first in Europe and Central Asia’ to test Massive MIMO technology on a live network, as part of its preparations for 5G network readiness. A press release says that, in partnership with Huawei, Turkcell completed the first ‘real network’ Massive MIMO implementation using the 1800MHz FDD frequency band in Antalya, Turkey, with test results showing that 480Mbps cell throughput could be achieved by using eight commercial test terminals on 20MHz spectrum with live network traffic. Cell throughput increased more than five times compared to the same live network test area using ‘traditional’ LTE 4×4 MIMO configuration. Turkcell notes that it previously demonstrated TDD Massive MIMO technology in the Turkish capital Ankara with a six-fold increase in cell throughput.

Turkcell adds that Massive MIMO offers significant advantages in high speed mobile broadband provision, especially in dense usage areas with a large number of people connecting at the same time (e.g. shopping centres, hotels, concert halls etc.).