Singtel and Ericsson are working together to pilot the massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) and cloud RAN on Singtel’s 4G LTE network. Both technologies are key components in the evolution to 5G that will enable Singtel to expand its mobile network capacity to offer faster speeds by the end of the year. Massive MIMO is essential to achieve gigabit LTE speeds as it improves spectral efficiency to triple or quadruple the number of data paths of cellular base stations. This expands network capacity and improves user experience. Ericsson AIR 6468 radio, providing 64T64R massive MIMO capabilities, will be tested and progressively deployed on Singtel’s 4G LTE network. Both companies will also embark on a pilot of cloud RAN, which will provide Singtel with the flexibility to centralise, distribute, scale and virtualise RAN functions to efficiently meet performance requirements now and on the road to 5G.
