In October 2016, ZTE and Telefónica began working on a Pre5G Massive MIMO program at Telefónica's headquarters in Madrid to evaluate its performance in indoor and hotspot coverage scenarios. The Pre5G Massive MIMO base station service exceeded expectations, improving both network capacity and cell-edge data transfer speeds—up to six times faster than long-evolution LTE macro base stations—while also reducing end-user interference through 3D modeling technology.
New applications such as virtual reality and 2K video streaming were also showcased during the test. All tests were based on existing 4G devices, including those from ZTE and other iconic smartphones.
Enrique Blanco, CTO of the Telefónica Group
"We are very pleased with the results of the Pre5G Massive MIMO trial with our partner ZTE, a recognized pioneer in this field. We see great potential in this technology and its ability to offer a better experience to our customers. We believe that Pre5G Massive MIMO technology can solve the last-mile internet problem by improving internet access and enhancing the user experience. Massive MIMO technology will be a fundamental component of future 5G networks.".
The Pre5G Massive MIMO trial completes the first phase of the 5G memorandum of understanding that both companies signed in June of this year, enabling greater opportunities for cooperation in different high-potential sectors such as advanced wireless communications, the Internet of Things, network virtualization, architectures and the cloud.
ZTE's Pre5G Massive MIMO base station was described as a "disruptive innovation" by the GSMA, winning the "Greatest Achievement in Mobile Technology" and "Excellence in Mobile Technology" awards at Mobile World Congress 2016. ZTE's innovation was also awarded "Best Innovation in Wireless Broadband" at the Broadband World Forum in London last October.

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