Pakistani operator Jazz has announced a successful roll-out of massive MIMO technology, which, it says, enhances the 4G experience.
Jazz describes itself as Pakistan’s number one 4G operator and the country’s largest internet and broadband service provider. It is now also the country’s first operator to commercially roll out massive MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) technology.
MIMO is a wireless technology that makes use of multiple transmitters and receivers to transfer more data at the same time. Massive MIMO further enhances this process, benefitting customers through increased network coverage as well as higher data speeds and better user experience. It involves a large number of transmitters and receivers.
Massive MIMO is regarded as a key 5G technology enabler that also allows 4G to perform to near-5G levels, according to Jazz.
An aggressive rollout campaign for the technology is already underway, bringing major throughput and capacity gains in the network. Jazz says it has achieved a peak throughput of 960Mbps in commercial deployment carried out across eight handsets simultaneously connected to a single massive MIMO cell site.
Massive MIMO is not just a network enhancement; it is also a response to demand. As Jazz chief technology officer, Khalid Shehzad points out, customers are increasingly using high-bandwidth applications. This puts pressure on existing network capabilities.
“Massive MIMO essentially allows us the freedom to provide more data at greater speeds, enabling our customers to use the enhanced services on their existing 4G devices,” he explains.