The GU@5MHz solution enables dynamic spectrum sharing between GSM and UMTS, and is expected to pave the way to 5G technologies in the future.
Turkcell saw its mobile broadband penetration grow by more than 10% in 2016, with average dataflow usage of up to 2.8Gb per month. It has been attempting to build its MBB network using primarily the 900MHz frequency band, but there I still considerable GMS traffic in use across Turkey, meaning it cannot refarm the spectrum.
Turkecell said it plans to deploy Huawei’s solution to deploy U900 spectrum without losing GSM traffic, while also seeing increased throughput speeds and improving quality across its 2G network by up to 30%.
Gediz Sezgin, CNO of Turkcell, said: "In 2017, Turkcell and Huawei jointly build the TechCity to offer optimal experience and improve quality of life for end-users by innovative technologies. Dynamic spectrum sharing is a truly significant breakthrough in spectrum allocation.
“It allows for better use of spectrum, keeping 2G networks stable and accelerating MBB development. I am very pleased with the favourable results.”
Huawei’s solution is already operating on eight commercial networks across the globe, with another 10 operators locked in discussion about deployment, according to the Chinese vendor.
Wang Yixiang, president of Huawei's GSM&UMTS&CDMA product line said, "Huawei is dedicated to offering technical innovations to continually improve spectrum efficiency, supporting customer success by maximizing spectrum value. The dynamic spectrum sharing technology used by the GU@5MHz solution not only boosts spectral efficiency, but also supports gradual traffic migration from 2G to MBB.”
The announcement came as Turkcell unveiled its highest revenue and EBITDA growth in more than a decade, up 25.6% and 39.8% respectively. Turkcell credited this to strong growth in its home market, driven de increased demand for processed data and digital services.
April marked a year since the Turkish operator first deployed 4.5G technology, which now covers 83% of Turkey’s population across 81 cities. This led data consumption per capita to grow 69% to 3GB.
