Etisalat Misr Climbing the pyramid of success with U900

The UMTS 900 network (U900) is the invisible engine that powers networking in today’s Egypt. Whether it’s a business exec calling up an Uber cab in Cairo or a tourist updating Facebook with a selfie by Tutankhamen’s tomb, they have the U900 to thank for shortening distances between people and making work and play a whole lot easier.

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By Zhang Yu and Yue Xiaopin Editor: Gary gary.marcus.maidment@huawei.com

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Coupled with a simple refarming solution, Etisalat Misr deployed GSM 1800 to improve G1800 coverage, meet GSM KPIs, and guarantee basic voice services.

ieroglyphs, pyramids, the Sphinx, in 2007 after acquiring the nation’s third mobile mummification…Egypt has truly operator license. The relative latecomer began by given the world a treasure trove of building the nation’s first 3G network, but it wasn’t historic and cultural gems. Every long before the competition began heating up. Hyear 15 million tourists descend on the nation of Carriers started aggressively vying for a piece of the nearly 90 million to explore its secrets. Figureheads action, offering lower rates and accelerating MBB of Osris guiding boats down the Nile and the network construction. mysteries of Pharaohs’ tombs are ripe for sharing Since then, Etisalat Misr’s network traffic has with people back home. Those lucky 15 million doubled every year, heaping considerable pressure travelers, of course, post their exotic Egyptian on network capacity, which is expected to continue travel experiences on social media across mobile in 2016. Moreover, compounding the scarcity of networks. spectrum resources assigned for 2G, Etisalat Misr holds limited spectrum for MBB. The carrier faced two major questions: How Mobile broadband goes crazy could it quickly build MBB network capacity and improve coverage? How could it reallocate existing As a pillar industry, Egypt’s thriving tourist spectrum resources? trade also benefits other industries. Mobile communications are booming, with mobile phone and smart device penetration at 115 percent and U900 saves the day 20 percent respectively. Social media applications pervade work and life, with the young taking to Etisalat Misr decided to build a UMTS 900 social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Skype network in the 900MHz band and retire its GSM like true digital natives. 900 network. To enhance user experience of MBB, Mobile broadband (MBB) consumption in Etisalat Misr’s CTO Khalid Murshed believes the Egypt is surging, with 2015 already on track carrier must “use existing experience as the basis for a 40 percent jump in MBB users over 2014, for network construction and developing strong while traffic growth is soaring at 120 percent per 3G services.” Coupled with a simple refarming year. But, MBB networks are struggling to take solution, Etisalat Misr deployed GSM 1800 up the slack and deliver the low latency and high (G1800) to improve G1800 coverage, meet GSM bandwidth that users want. KPIs, and guarantee basic voice services. Egypt’s mobile carriers increased to three when Better coverage meant that 2G network Emirati subsidiary Etisalat Misr stepped into play performance and capacity would not be affected

02 47 2016 once the G900 was retired. In turn, the simple to accommodate the surge in data services. refarming solution could quickly and precisely Subscribers immediately noticed the improved identify network areas with capacity limitations user experience, with MBB user traffic increasing and enable accurate plans for U900 site by up to 25 percent and the time needed to open locations. web page times greatly reduced. According to The solution offered network capacity growth as Etisalat Misr, this “has improved web page loading quickly and inexpensively as possible. Etisalat Misr speeds and user experience, making shopping used value analysis, network assessment planning, much more enjoyable in malls in west Cairo”. and performance impact estimations to develop Etisalat Misr found through traffic-bearing accurate traffic migration plans and capacity modeling that its legacy 2G network was carrying enhancement solutions, and retain the same a relatively high proportion of 3G user traffic due bearing and performance capacity on the GSM to insufficient coverage, with up to 50 percent of network after refarming. 2G network traffic generated on 3G terminals. The The carrier formulated planning solutions for new U900, however, enabled the 3G network to new site construction and coverage enhancements bear 3G user traffic. to resolve GSM network coverage problems Improved network coverage delivered a better post-U900 deployment. user experience, with speed increasing by as much Etisalat Misr first deployed the U900 network as 40 percent from 2.1 Mbps to 3 Mbps. in economically active areas with international “Etisalat Group has always worked with companies and fast traffic growth. vendors with the best technology. We have To formulate measures for quickly handling any collaborated with Huawei for the last 15 years problems that arised, Etisalat Misr and Huawei and will continue to do so in future,” says Etisalat jointly set up an MBB team. As well as developing Misr CTO Khalid Murshed. “We will continue a viable delivery model and follow-up project plan, to deploy U900 networks and enhance G1800 the team created a series of capacity standards and network coverage while we prepare for LTE criteria. After rapid verification, these were used to network deployment.” design methods for follow-up network planning. Murshed believes that the U900 has helped Etisalat Misr provide the best MBB experience for users and empowered its development strategy. It Making life better with MBB will no doubt be a decisive factor for commercial success and pave the way for a fruitful long-term The U900 network has met the pressing partnership with Huawei. need for higher bandwidth in west Cairo

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