Ethio telecom has partnered with ZTE Corporation to deploy Ethiopia’s first pre-commercial AI Radio Access Network (AIR RAN) solution, marking a milestone in the application of artificial intelligence to mobile network optimisation.
The deployment has achieved an 11% increase in 4G capacity and a 40% improvement in user throughput during peak hours compared with the traditional solution. The results demonstrate the potential of AI-powered network technologies to improve existing infrastructure, accommodate growing data traffic and enhance mobile user experiences.
As 4G data traffic continues to increase across Ethiopia, the two companies have been exploring how artificial intelligence can improve the efficiency and performance of radio access networks (RAN), which connect users’ devices to telecommunications networks.
Over the past two years, Ethio telecom and ZTE have focused on advancing AI-enabled network innovation to address these demands.
The AIR RAN solution builds on Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (Massive MIMO) technology and uses ZTE’s AIREngine intelligent computing engine to introduce AI-driven intelligent beam scheduling. This enables the network to allocate radio resources more efficiently in response to changing traffic demands.
By optimising existing network resources, the technology is designed to unlock additional 4G capacity and improve data throughput without relying solely on additional network infrastructure.
The reported performance gains highlight the solution’s potential to support growing connectivity needs, particularly during peak usage periods when network demand is high.
The deployment aligns with Ethio telecom’s “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028” strategy, which aims to transform the company beyond a connectivity-focused telecommunications operator into a digital enterprise powered by AI-native networks and digital innovation.
It also supports Ethiopia’s broader Digital Ethiopia 2030 agenda by contributing to the development of more efficient and responsive telecommunications infrastructure.
Through the partnership, Ethio telecom and ZTE are continuing to explore advanced network technologies to strengthen connectivity, improve service performance and support the country’s digital transformation ambitions.
