Telecom operator SmarTone is trialing FDD Massive MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology in Hong Kong as part of the operator’s network strategy to launch 5G in future.

The trial of FDD Massive MIMO on 1800 MHz in Hong Kong proves the capabilities of this technology ahead of the live deployment in 2018 of AIR 3246, Ericsson’s radio that can support Massive MIMO over 4G/LTE with Ericsson’s 5G Massive MIMO Plug-In.

Massive MIMO on FDD yields a multi-fold increase of network capacity and increase user throughput by up to five times, boosting performance for end users.

In October last year, SmarTone and Ericsson announced a 5-year network evolution plan towards 5G.

“The trial reinforces SmarTone’s leadership in the network evolution journey. Ericsson’s FDD Massive MIMO solution will play an instrumental part in providing our customers in dense urban environments with enhanced user experiences they have come to expect from SmarTone,” said Stephen Chau, chief technology officer of SmarTone.

Nishant Batra, head of Product Area Network Infrastructure, Ericsson, said that the recent LAA field trial, and the trial of FDD Massive MIMO, enables SmarTone to shape the next-generation network technology.

Ericsson’s AIR 3246 radio supports FDD Massive MIMO for both 4G and 5G. The technology enables operators – especially in metropolitan areas – to bring 5G to subscribers using today’s mid-band spectrum and boost capacity in their LTE networks.