stc Group and Huawei Complete World’s First Commercial MB² Deployment

stc Group, Saudi Arabia’s leading digital solutions provider, and Huawei have announced the world’s first commercial deployment of a Multi-Band Multi-Beam (MB²) microwave solution. With this solution, a single MB² antenna covers eight frequency bands ranging from 13 GHz to 38 GHz and supports up to 10 concurrent beams, which helps carriers reduce antenna count by as much as 90%.

Following the rapid rollout of 5G networks across Saudi Arabia, base station density and mobile data traffic have surged. stc urgently needed to carry more data across its network and connect sites in multiple directions without adding site complexity, a challenge addressed precisely by the MB² solution:

• Supports up to 10 microwave directions with a single MB² antenna;
• Operates across eight frequency bands: 13 GHz, 15 GHz, 18 GHz, 23 GHz, 26 GHz, 28 GHz, 32 GHz and 38 GHz, offering greater flexibility than conventional antennas;
• Slashes antenna count by up to 90%—reducing space and load on towers, which in turn lowers rental expenditure; and
• Simplifies site deployment and streamlines antenna installation and alignment, optimizing the total cost of ownership (TCO).
  
  

The commercial project in Saudi Arabia was initially deployed with three transmission directions. Once the first link was established, the second and third were each completed in just 20 minutes. Conventional microwave solutions would have required three hours per link. All links maintained stable operations under harsh conditions including temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius and strong wind conditions. If a site needs additional capacity, up to 10 (in total) directions can be activated without installing extra antennas, making the solution well-suited for densely connected 5G sites.

The commercial MB² deployment further deepens the long-term strategic partnership between stc and Huawei. Both parties will continue leveraging advanced technologies to accelerate network upgrade and drive future digital service innovation.