Ethio telecom and ZTE Deploy Ethiopia’s First Pre-Commercial AI RAN Solution

ZTE Corporation,  a global leading provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, has partnered with Ethio telecom  to deploy Ethiopia’s first pre-commercial AIR RAN solution, marking an important milestone in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to mobile network optimization.

The deployment has delivered significant improvements in network performance, achieving an 11% increase in 4G capacity and a 40% gain in user throughput during peak hours compared with the traditional solution. These results demonstrate the potential of AI-powered network technologies to enhance existing infrastructure, address growing data traffic and improve mobile user experience.

As 4G data traffic continues to grow rapidly in Ethiopia, Ethio telecom and ZTE have been exploring ways to harness AI to improve the efficiency and performance of the radio access network (RAN), the part of a mobile network that connects users’ devices to the telecommunications network. Over the past two years, the two companies have focused on advancing this approach through AI-enabled network innovation.

Building on Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (Massive MIMO) technology, the AIR RAN solution uses ZTE’s AIREngine intelligent computing engine to introduce AI-driven intelligent beam scheduling. This enables more intelligent allocation of radio resources in response to changing network traffic demands.

By optimizing the use of existing network resources, the technology helps unlock additional 4G capacity and improve data throughput without relying solely on additional network infrastructure.

The reported 11% increase in 4G capacity and 40% improvement in peak-hour user throughput highlight the solution’s potential to support growing connectivity needs while enhancing network efficiency and service performance, particularly during periods of high demand.

This milestone aligns with Ethio telecom’s “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028” Strategy and supports the company’s ambition to evolve beyond a connectivity-focused telecommunications operator into a leading digital enterprise powered by AI-native networks and digital innovation.

In addition, the deployment also contributes to Ethiopia’s broader digital transformation ambitions under the Digital Ethiopia 2030 agenda by supporting the development of more efficient, capable and responsive telecommunications infrastructure.

Through continued investment in advanced technologies and strategic collaboration, Ethio telecom is advancing its digital transformation agenda, strengthening its network capabilities and exploring innovative approaches to deliver improved connectivity, bridge the digital divide and greater value to customers.