ZTE has announced that China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak), operating under the brand Zong 4G, has become the first operator to commercially launch its high-power 8T8R ultra-broadband radio (UBR) and digital intelligent antenna (DIA) solution.
The 8T8R UBR delivers 8×120W of power for the 1800-MHz and 2100-MHz bands in a single integrated remote radio unit (RRU), replacing multiple legacy RRUs. According to ZTE, this allows Zong to reduce up to 67% of RRUs per tower, significantly cutting deployment complexity, antenna space requirements, and the overall equipment footprint.
Paired with ZTE’s DIA antenna, the solution supports software-defined beamforming for either two 4T4R cells in the existing 4G network or a single 8T8R cell for future 5G technologies. This flexibility enables operators to upgrade network performance while preparing for next-generation services.
ZTE reported that the combined UBR and DIA deployment has already yielded notable improvements, including a 34% increase in daily capacity and an 83% boost during peak hours. These enhancements have translated into a stronger user experience across the network.
The companies are also testing cost-efficient rollout models. For example, newly deployed sites in space- or power-constrained areas may use one 4T4R cell and two 2T2R cells per site, optimizing resource use while maintaining high performance.
This marks ZTE’s second UBR-related announcement in Pakistan within a month. In late July, the company revealed that digital operator Jazz had deployed its own UBR solution alongside massive MIMO equipment, though with different power configurations—2×80W at 900 MHz and 4×140W at both 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz.
