Yas Tanzania joins Ericsson to deploy the first AIR 3285 radio in Africa

Ericsson and Yas Tanzania enable advanced digital services with Africa’s first deployment of AIR 3285 radio

This network enhancement significantly improves capacity and user experience, supporting growing demand for data across Tanzania.

The deployment triples 4G network capacity, delivering faster speeds and stronger coverage across the country.

This network upgrade boosts digital inclusion and lays the groundwork for future digital services and economic development.

Ericsson and Yas Tanzania have announced the first commercial deployment in Africa of Ericsson’s AIR 3285 radio, supporting a major step forward in network performance and user experience across the country.

The deployment follows a successful trial and forms part of Yas Tanzania’s ongoing network modernization and expansion, supporting its ambition to strengthen digital infrastructure and expand access to high-quality connectivity across the country.

Ericsson is supplying the AIR 3285 radios and supporting deployment and integration, helping enhance network capacity and performance.

This enables more reliable and higher-quality connectivity for everyday use cases such as e-learning, remote work and live streaming, while improving user experience in high-traffic environments such as large events, and laying the foundation for new digital services that support inclusive growth.

Supporting Tanzania’s digital future, the enhanced 4G capabilities will enable greater digital inclusion by improving access to high-speed connectivity for individuals and businesses, while also supporting the introduction of advanced digital services such as Internet of Things (IoT) and smart city use cases.

Hassan Jaber, Group Chief Executive Officer of Yas, says their partnership with Ericsson on this deployment reflects the company’s continued commitment to enhancing connectivity across Tanzania.

“This first deployment of the technology in Africa marks an important step in our journey, as we introduce advanced Massive MIMO solutions to strengthen our network and better serve individuals, businesses and communities nationwide.”

Alain Maupin, Vice President and Head of Ericsson East and North Africa at Ericsson Europe, Middle East and Africa, says this first deployment of AIR 3285 in Africa is a proud moment for Ericsson and a testament to technology leadership.

“We are dedicated to supporting Yas Tanzania’s vision for a fully connected nation. This milestone validates the real-world impact of our Massive MIMO solution in delivering exceptional performance and accelerating the journey toward a digital-first economy in Tanzania.”

Ericsson’s AIR 3285 is a dual-band Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) Massive MIMO radio weighing only 31 kilograms, making it the lightest in its class.

Its optimized weight and size simplify rollouts in high-capacity sites, helping operators meet growing demand for uplink capacity.

It offers up to four times higher uplink capacity and two times higher downlink capacity than traditional 4T and 4R solutions, supporting improved network performance and efficiency.

This deployment builds on Ericsson and Yas Tanzania’s ongoing efforts to strengthen network capabilities across the country.

Ericsson and Yas Tanzania have a long-standing partnership, including the launch of 5G services in 2022 and the modernization and expansion of the operator’s 4G network.

This latest deployment according to their statement, further strengthens that collaboration and reflects continued investment in high-performing mobile networks in Africa.

Yas (owned by AXIAN Telecom) is a leading telecommunications company that operates in 11 markets across Africa and the Indian Ocean, providing mobile, fixed, digital infrastructure and fintech services to more than 44 million customers.