Airtel Niger announced the deployment of Ericsson’s dual-band three-sector Radio 6626 to provide a 5G-ready and more efficient network.
Ericsson’s Radio 6626 will enable Airtel Niger to radiate all three sectors in their towers through one radio unit by achieving significant energy reductions and operating expenditure savings.

Field results have demonstrated a reduction in power consumption greater than 60 percent, a reduction approximately 0.4 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per site per year and a 60 percent reduced weight on the tower.

Airtel Niger will enjoy efficient site upgrades and accelerated time-to-market of services. Through the deployment, Airtel Niger will also have the capability to enhance both outdoor and indoor coverage for all mobile generations and build a significantly advanced and energy-efficient network.

“With the deployment of Ericsson’s Radio 6626, we will be able to reduce operational expenditures significantly with lower power consumption, better site design, and with fewer radios without compromising network performance,” Abdellatif Bouziani, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Niger said in a news statement.

“Radio 6626 will help Airtel Niger increase the energy efficiency of the network infrastructure and launch new commercial connectivity services sustainably. Airtel Niger will benefit from faster rollout of services and achieve cost-efficiency,” Todd Ashton, Vice President and Head of Ericsson South and East Africa at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said.