Huawei announces world's first 8x8 MIMO outdoor CPE commercialised for maximum LTE network value

Huawei announced the commercial availability of the world's first 8x8 MIMO LTE outdoor CPE (customer-premises equipment) B3368. B3368 provides an experience of up to 1 Gb/s and triples FWA capacity compared to MBB benchmarks. This innovation enables operators to provide fiber-like services over LTE networks while maximizing both spectral efficiency and the value of LTE networks.

Global LTE fixed wireless access broadband (4G FWA) has achieved rapid development, with 4G/5G FWA expanded from suburban to urban areas, from low-speed copper lines to high-speed optical fiber, and from homes to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Smart home, 4K, and AR/VR services are mature, requiring fixed broadband rates to increase from 10–20 Mb/s to 25–100 Mb/s. Huawei's latest LTE CPE B3368 enables operators to quickly deploy 4G FWA services by leveraging LTE networks to provide fiber-like experiences, which will be essential for operators to win high-value fixed broadband users and sustain continuous revenue growth.

1Gb/s rate for a fiber-like premium experience : B3368 supports all FDD and TDD bands, 4CC CA with a maximum bandwidth of 80 MHz, and 256QAM. By combining the powerful functions, this product supports a peak rate of up to 1 Gb/s.

Tripled spectral efficiency and provisioning capabilities : B3368 supports up to 8x8 MIMO and 4-SRS antenna selection. Together with Huawei's leading Massive MIMO base stations, this product delivers a tripled capacity over MBB base stations. Service provisioning capability is also tripled, reducing per-line costs by 60% and enabling operators to extend broadband services to more homes and enterprises without deploying new base stations, maximizing the network value.

Smart antenna selection simplifies installation and reduces costs : B3368's built-in antennas support smart antenna selection, meaning that the base station providing the best signal quality is always selected during initial installation and upon network changes without requiring manual adjustment of antenna azimuths. Installation efficiency is tripled, reducing installation and maintenance costs.

Zhang Yiqu, Director of Huawei's WTTx Domain, said: "4G/5G FWA enables operators to achieve rapid provisioning of fixed broadband services. In 2018, 4G FWA connections outgrew FTTH in markets outside China. 4G/5G FWA services are also ushering in an era of Wireless Fiber. Wireless Fibers will contribute to further widespread usage and development of fixed broadband."

By September, 2019, more than 230 4G FWA networks have been deployed globally. Huawei's LTE CPE B3368 will enable operators to increase home broadband speeds in developed countries while increasing the availability of affordable home broadband in developing countries, bridging digital divides among families, and achieving the goal of " Broadband for All, Wireless First ".