MTN and Huawei Deploy Africa’s First AI Alpha Antenna
MTN Ghana, in partnership with Huawei, has successfully completed the world’s first large-scale deployment of the Alpha Antenna, marking a major milestone in AI-driven network innovation in Africa.
The deployment represents a significant boost in network performance, setting a new benchmark for autonomous and intelligent network evolution both across Africa and globally. Post-deployment tests revealed a 6.8% increase in regional traffic, while operations and maintenance efficiency improved thirtyfold.
Addressing persistent challenges in network operations, such as manual dependency, slow adaptation, and inconsistent accuracy, the Alpha Antenna introduces fully automated, AI-powered capabilities. Its integrated Antenna Information Sensor Unit (AISU) enables real-time, precise retrieval of antenna parameters, eliminating the need for manual site visits.
Meanwhile, the Array Information Mapping Unit (AIMU) provides exact real-time visualisation of network topology, eradicating configuration errors and supporting remote adjustment of multi-dimensional beams.
This allows the network to dynamically adapt coverage and capacity to real-time demand, reducing optimisation cycles from weeks to mere minutes.
The Alpha Antenna represents a paradigm shift in network operations, moving from reactive manual intervention to proactive, AI-driven closed-loop control for “real-time retrieval, precise control, and dynamic optimisation.” This deployment lays a critical digital foundation for MTN’s vision of a fully Autonomous Driving Network (ADN), enabling self-optimisation and autonomous network evolution.
MTN Ghana emphasised that the collaboration with Huawei not only reduces operational complexity and costs but also empowers the network with real-time retrieval and rapid-response capabilities. The successful deployment is expected to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation and strengthen the continent’s position in global AI-powered network innovation.
