This article appeared in TechNave on 15 September 2022.

Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) has been working hard on deploying the 5G network in Malaysia. Today, it's announced that we will be the first country to use Ericsson's AIR 3268 ultra-lightweight radio for the 5G rollout. If you don't know what's good about the technology, read on to find out more!

Ericsson's head for Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, David Hagerbro, stated that the new generation radio would get deployed throughout Malaysia. It is 18 per cent more energy-efficient than the previous generation radio, thereby ensuring a more sustainable and responsible 5G rollout.

Furthermore, the AIR 3268 is designed with Ericsson Silicon, providing real-time channel estimation and ultra-precise beamforming that improves coverage and user experience. AIR 3268 is also the lightest and smallest Massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output) radio in the industry, measuring 12 kilogrammes and 23 litres. With 200 watts of output power, 32 transceivers and passive cooling, the radio weighs about 40 per cent less than the earlier generation, making installations easy on towers, rooftops, poles and walls.