MTN South Africa, ZTE Scale AI-Driven Energy Savings Across Western Cape
MTN South Africa and ZTE Corporation have expanded commercial deployment of an AI-native energy-saving solution for mobile networks across the Western Cape, following a successful trial in Cape Town.
The solution, ZTE AIR RAN EnergyTurbo, uses AI-driven closed-loop energy intelligence to cut power consumption at network sites while maintaining service quality and customer experience.
In the Cape Town trial, baseline energy-saving features delivered savings of 2.8 percent per site. With EnergyTurbo’s AI capabilities, savings rose to 13.5 percent, an additional uplift of 10.7 percentage points under live network conditions.
Following the results, the deployment was scaled across the Western Cape region in the second quarter of 2026.
EnergyTurbo uses network AI to analyse traffic patterns, site energy policies and real-time service demand. Rather than relying on fixed rules, the system predicts traffic changes and makes site-specific decisions in a closed loop, allowing base stations to save energy during low-load periods while protecting service quality when demand rises.
The rollout was delivered in collaboration with regional teams and the OEM partner, marking a milestone in MTN South Africa’s efforts to operationalise AI-driven network innovation.
Luca Shen, CEO of ZTE South Africa, said the commercial validation highlighted the practical value of AI in making networks more efficient and sustainable.
“Together with MTN South Africa, we are bringing AI-native innovation into live networks to support greener digital growth,” Shen said.
Ernest Paul, Acting Chief Technology Officer of MTN South Africa, said AI allows networks to make smarter decisions in real time by aligning energy consumption with traffic demand, supporting efficiency without compromising customer experience.
MTN and ZTE said they will continue exploring AI-driven innovations aimed at improving efficiency, enhancing user experience and reducing environmental impact, as the Western Cape deployment moves AI-native network capabilities from commercial validation to scaled operational use.
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