TAWAL to provide infrastructure for King Abdullah Economic City

TAWAL, the leading Saudi ICT Infrastructure company, will provide ICT infrastructure for King Abdullah Economic City.

These solutions will improve the efficiency of KAEC’s telecommunications network through the application of best practices and international standards.

Under the stipulations of the strategic agreement, TAWAL will acquire all the towers owned by the city, as well as the In-Building Solutions (IBS). TAWAL will manage and operate these assets to telecom service providers.

The agreement was signed during the “Future Investment Initiative” summit — which was held in Riyadh from 25 to 27 October — in the presence of TAWAL CEO, Eng. Mohammed Alhakbani, and KAEC CEO, Mr. Cyril Piaia.

https://www.stc.com.sa/content/stc/sa/en/about-stc/media-center/press-release/press-release-detail.html?id=tawal-acquires-king-abdullah-economic-city-telecommunication-towers

Saudi Arabia's TAWAL picks Nokia for 5G expansion

Monday, December 28, 2020  Nokia, Saudi Arabia  

TAWAL, the leading Saudi ICT Infrastructure company, has selected Nokia to provide full turnkey services towards expanding and deploying 5G for TAWAL’s infrastructure in the western and southern parts of Saudi Arabia. This project is part of TAWAL’s plan for 5G expansion in the western and southern parts of Saudi Arabia, where Nokia will be adding 5G capabilities to 670 4G sites over the course of six months. In addition, Nokia will be replacing...

READ MORE

Read More

stc implements 5G carrier aggregation

Saudi Arabia's stc is activating 5G Carrier Aggregation to boost capacity by up to 60% and improving download speeds for its subscribers.

This development plan utilizes 2.3GHz band for 5G on more than 1,000 sites as an initial phase, through reuse of the spectrum resources initially used for 4G which affirms stc’s strategic commitment to adopt cutting edge technologies and services. 

The use of 5G Carrier Aggregation technology is expected to aggregate the new 2.3GHz carrier to the main 5G carrier on 3.5GHz, to augment the overall 5G network capacity and elevate speeds into global-ranking levels.

Eng. Bader Alluhaib - stc Infrastructure VP has stated: “In stc – as per our leading position in strengthening the Kingdom’s status in the global Telecom sector – we are restlessly working – with the support of our partners – to develop our infrastructure capabilities, and introducing the latest solutions and technologies to enrich our subscribers experience and improve the Kingdom’s global ranking. As the leading Operator in the Kingdom, we are planning to adopt these advanced solutions in a larger scale throughout the upcoming years as an integral part of the 2030 Vision”.

Eva Andrin – Deputy VP for Saudi and Egypt in Ericsson, stc’s Technology Partner has stated: “Ericsson’s 5G Carrier Aggregation solution - which employs Advanced Radio Coordination technologies – provides a breakthrough change in enhancing 5G coverage, boosting capacity and improving 5G users experience. Ericsson is devoted to provide stc with such innovative solutions to uplift its network capabilities, to outreach new horizons towards the Kingdom Vision”

stc expects to conclude this development within this year.

https://www.stc.com.sa/content/stcgroupwebsite/sa/en/media-center/press-release/press-release-detail.html?id=stc-boosts-5g-network

Read More

EDGNEX builds new data center in Riyadh

EDGNEX, a global digital infrastructure provider owned by DAMAC Group, announced plans to build a new data center in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

EDGNEX is the most recent investment of Hussain Sajwani, Emirati businessman and founder of DAMAC Group.

The data centre will be located at Industrial City 2 which is just 19km from the city centre and 47km from the airport. The facility’s close proximity to Riyadh’s city centre will provide low-latency access to the entire KSA market, and customers will benefit from high-fibre density and connectivity options. The new data centre will have a maximum IT load of 20 Megawatts (MW) and sit on a 17,720 sqm plot. The facility will be ready to go live in Q3 2023.

“The KSA is one of the most exciting and dynamic ICT markets in the MENA region. The government of the KSA has demonstrated its commitment to innovation and we are proud to be supporting its long-term vision for digital adoption. We want to help attract hyperscalers and innovators from around the world and give them a foundation for growth in the Kingdom,” said Niall McLoughlin, Senior Vice President of parent company DAMAC Group. “This is a tremendous opportunity to serve growing local demand while offering world-class facilities to players from across the globe. We look forward to growing together with partners and customers in the KSA.”

https://www.edgnex.com

Read More

stc tests 1-terabit channel optical transport with Nokia

stc  announced the successful completion of the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region’s first 

stc has condected a trial of a 1-Terabit high-capacity channel using Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Interconnect – Modular (PSI-M) solution. The test was conducted over stc's network in Riyadh.As part of the trial, Nokia PSI-M was directly installed in stc’s data center rack and used AC power supply. Nokia’s 1830 PSI-M is a compact, high capacity, modular optical networking platform, optimized for Data Center Interconnect (DCI) applications over metro, regional and long haul. It is designed to address the growing demand for DCI applications and the need to transport new high bandwidth services such as 400GbE and 800GbE from the latest generations of routers.

Badr Al-Lhieb, Infrastructure Sector VP, stc, said: "We are thrilled at the successful completion of this crucial trial. We are committed to providing the best possible network experience to our subscribers. Nokia’s industry-leading solutions will help us address the current capacity requirements and quickly scale as the requirement grows while keeping our costs in control. We look forward to working with them on this initiative."

Khalid Hussain, Head of stc Customer Business Team at Nokia, said: "The growing data consumption across consumers and enterprises is pushing the network capacity limits for service providers. This trial effectively demonstrates how service providers, like stc, can benefit from 1830 PSI-M to quickly scale and enhance the network capacity limit by using the existing infrastructure and without making significant investments.”

Read More

Saudi Arabia's stc aims to build hub for subsea cables and data centers

Saudi Arabia's stc kicked off an initiative to establish a major digital hub for the Middle East and North Africa with an investment of US$1 billion. The goal is to invest in an advanced fiber optic network linking 3 continents and ensuring continuous availability of services.

The launch came in on the sideline of this week's LEAP International Conference in Riyadh. This comes in cooperation with regional and international partners. The hub will link three continents, benefiting from the strategic location of the Kingdom, and promoting investment in international communication services and data centers. The hub will include the installation of a number of highly efficient cables to meet the future requirements of cloud services, by investing in an 

"stc is committed to be the digital pioneer to achieve KSA Vision 2030 by developing digital business so the Kingdom will be the regional hub and link the three continents. In addition to attracting direct and indirect foreign investments and stimulating more local investments. Hence, our goal is to build this property for the region and turn our goals to reality”, said AlWetaid.

“We are proud to contribute to transforming the digital industry in the Kingdom into a leading industrial power and a global logistics center, and the development of the local industrial sector, which puts Saudi Arabia at the forefront of global countries among data-dependent economies, stressing the transformation of business environments and the local community to be digitally connected in order to achieve an advanced digital economy”, concluded Alwetaid.

https://www.stc.com.sa/wps/wcm/connect/english/stc/NewsItems/stc-launches-mena-hub-1-billion-investment

Read More

STC calls on ADVA’s NFV suite for uCPE services

The Saudi Telecom Company (STC) is rolling out on-demand virtual services using ADVA’s Ensemble suite of network functions virtualization (NFV) technologies. The new universal CPE (uCPE) offering is built on the Dell EMC Networking Virtual Edge Platform (VEP) 1405 series running ADVA’s Ensemble Edge Cloud NFV suite. 

STC’s new uCPE offering enables businesses across the Middle East to select virtual products from the multivendor Ensemble Harmony Ecosystem. Enterprise customers of STC will be able to quickly and easily access virtual services, including routing, firewall, WAN optimization, IoT and voice applications.  The Dell EMC Networking VEP 1405 series is a compact, low-power uCPE appliance purpose-built to host VNFs and ideal for demanding SD-WAN applications. With ADVA’s Ensemble Connector as the NFVI platform, multiple VNFs can run on a single uCPE. Other key components include Ensemble Orchestrator and Virtualization Director, which provide a simple and effective management and orchestration (MANO) architecture, empowering STC to roll out secure virtualized services at scale.

“Today’s enterprises need to be agile. They require the freedom to mix and match the latest cloud technologies to seize new revenue opportunities in an instant. That’s what our new uCPE service is all about. It eliminates vendor lock-in and lets our clients experiment with best-in-class solutions that fit their specific needs and ambitions,” said Fahad A. Alhajeri, VP, digital solutions, STC. 

“STC’s uCPE service is ideal for connecting the enterprise to the cloud. Now businesses throughout the Middle East can leverage the power of virtualization and choose from the market’s widest range of onboarded commercial VNFs,” commented James Buchanan, GM, Edge Cloud, ADVA. “Our Ensemble suite’s MANO capabilities support the rollout of secure virtualized service across multiple locations with complete flexibility and scale. And, thanks to our Ensemble Connector’s zero-touch provisioning, STC can ship uCPE to a customer site and provision it securely with no need for technicians. With such rapid deployments and agile service creation at the network edge, STC is leading the way to the managed services of tomorrow.”

“By utilizing our Virtual Edge Platform 1405 series and ADVA’s Ensemble software, STC is giving its customers a simple way to respond to shifting industry demand,” said Drew Schulke, VP, Dell EMC Networking, Dell Technologies. “Working with ADVA, we’re empowering STC and its customers to digitalize their infrastructures. Now they can deploy solutions at the click of a mouse and harness advanced tools for boosting security, reducing costs and improving end-user customer experience.”

Read More

Zain to deploy 60,000 Nokia 5G FWA gateways across Saudi Arabia

 Zain KSA will deploy 60,000 of Nokia's FastMile 5G Gateways across Saudi Arabia over the next 12 months. The 5G fixed wireless access gateways incorporate eSIMS (embedded SIM), aligning with Zain KSA’s digital transformation strategy to enhance the customer experience

FastMile 5G gateways connect homes and businesses with fixed 5G technology and offer support Wi-Fi 6.                

Nokia FastMile 5G gateways take advantage of the company’s self-optimizing mesh Wi-Fi 6 solution for real time Wi-Fi performance optimization. The gateways ensure a much quicker and easier account setup by using the latest eSIM technology that allows users to avoid the process of acquiring and installing a physical SIM card. This deployment is the first time eSIM has been used in a 5G fixed wireless access solution.                                  

Eng. AbdulRahman bin Hamad AlMufadda, Chief Technology Officer at Zain KSA, said: “Rolling out our new 5G fixed wireless access routers comes in line with our digital transformation and 5G expansion strategy reiterating our role in serving the Kingdom’s society. Our mission from the start was to strengthen the 5G experience in the Kingdom into two levels: horizontally, concerned with spreading the 5G network across the largest possible geographical scale. Vertically, through 5G fixed wireless access solutions to enable homes and offices with the best and most reliable broadband experience available. In alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 we will continue to invest further to enable the digital sector and the national digital transformation namely through: cloud computing, IoT, and AI; while simultaneously aiming to become the digital service provider of choice in the Kingdom.”

Sandra Motley, President of Fixed Networks Division at Nokia, said: “We are happy to support Zain KSA connect more people, and revolutionize the way people live and work in the Kingdom. Zain KSA is joining the leading operators around the world, in providing the 5G fixed wireless access to deliver a gigabit experience to consumers and businesses alike. The combination of FastMile 5G Gateways and self-optimizing mesh Wi-Fi 6 technology means that Zain KSA is delivering a new and unmatched 5G experience to everyone, at every corner in homes and offices.”

Read More

Saudi Arabia's TAWAL picks Nokia for 5G expansion

TAWAL, the leading Saudi ICT Infrastructure company, has selected Nokia to provide full turnkey services towards expanding and deploying 5G for TAWAL’s infrastructure in the western and southern parts of Saudi Arabia. 

This project is part of TAWAL’s plan for 5G expansion in the western and southern parts of Saudi Arabia, where Nokia will be adding 5G capabilities to 670 4G sites over the course of six months. In addition, Nokia will be replacing some existing towers with new ones while modernizing and strengthening others.

Saeed Alshehri, Chief Operation Officer of TAWAL, stated: “We are delighted to work with Nokia in expanding and deploying the 5G network across our infrastructure. This comes in line with our strategy to enrich the communication needs of MNOs, the Government and Businesses by accelerating the roll-out of new technologies, together we will provide the best-in-class services to build and manage the infrastructure that will allow us to stay ahead of our clients’ needs”.

Stating on the partnership, Khalid Hussein, Country Senior Officer at Nokia Saudi, added: “The expansion of the 5G network opens up boundless horizons and strengthens the distinguished partnership between Nokia and TAWAL. This partnership will highlight Nokia's full turnkey services, which will contribute to achieve the Kingdom's 2030 Vision and support the digital transformation. Our partnership will further pave the way for future collaborations with TAWAL in the 5G-era”.

https://tawal.com.sa/

Read More

stc tests Open vRAN and invests $500m in cloud with Alibaba

Saudi Arabia's stc is conducting ORAN testing. Altiostar confirmed that its Open vRAN software is part of the trial.

Eng. Khaled Aldharrab, VP, Infrastructure, stc, said: “Open RAN is a large and crucial part of stc’s future virtualized infrastructure. This technology is promising to change the way we currently think of Network solutions, providing: Openness, disaggregation, speed, efficiency and reduced time to market. The future of Cloud-Native, modular software and Micro-services will go far in addressing the customers high expectations and delivering our future vision.

stc Group also announced plans to invest around $500 million in cloud services in a partnership with eWTP Arabia Capital, one of the largest venture capital funds in the region, and Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group.

stc said the investment aims "to reinforce digital infrastructure and to leverage the proven cloud-based technologies and services of Alibaba Cloud to accelerate the growth of local technology ecosystem, in alignment with its “DARE” strategy and Vision 2030 objectives."

Read More

Saudi Arabia plans open-access FTTH network

Saudi Arabia’s telecoms regulator is leading a New Open Access Initiative that will deliver fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband services through any subscriber-selected service provider, independent of fiber infrastructure ownership.

A nation-wide active infrastructure sharing agreement was signed on February 23rd by all six telecom Service Providers in Saudi Arabia, including the CEOs of STC, Mobily, Zain, Etihad Atheeb Telecom (GO), Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) and Integrated Dawiyat. The agreement is notable because it includes both access seekers and access providers.

Dr. Mohammed Al Tamimi, governor of the CITC, commented, “The adoption of an open access model will increase the use of our fiber-optic infrastructure through the development of commercial agreements that make it easier for subscribers to move from one provider to another.” The governor commended the level of cooperation between participating telecoms companies throughout the development of the open access initiative.

CITC noted that the Kingdom’s digital transformation has accelerated significantly since the launch of Vision 2030, with its ICT sector valued at $28.7 billion, the largest in the Arab world. According to the International Telecommunication Union, Saudi Arabia has an internet penetration rate of 93% versus the global average of 53%.

Read More

Mobily Saudi Arabia picks Ericsson for 5G

Mobily Saudi Arabia has selected Ericsson for 5G. An agreement signed at Mobily's Riyadh headquarters covers the deployment of Ericsson products and solutions spanning transport, core, charging and billing and radio access -  including 5G products from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Mobily said the agreement will support its drive to empower Saudi Arabia’s government and private sectors towards digital transformation, as well as accelerating the deployment of digital services, and expanding Internet of Things (IoT) usage.

Read More

Zain activates 5G on 2,000 towers across 20 Saudi cities

by James E. Carroll

Zain Group activated commercial 5G services in Saudi Arabia.

The first phase of the rollout covers a network of 2,000 towers in more than 20 cities in the Kingdom. Zain aims to cover a total of 26 Saudi cities utilizing 2,600 towers by the end of 2019.

Zain describes the launch as the largest 5G network deployment in the region to date. The carrier already has 5G operational in Kuwait.

Commenting on this significant milestone, Zain Vice Chairman & Group CEO, & Zain KSA Vice Chairman, Bader Al Kharafi said, “5G will bring substantial change for the Kingdom’s telecom industry, creating new business models and unlocking opportunities for many sectors such as financial, ICT, agricultural, tourism, entertainment, automotive, health, education and public sectors, to name a few. The technology is also expected to contribute significantly to the country’s economy, creating thousands of new jobs.”

Nokia wins 5G contract with Zain Saudi Arabia

Thursday, June 27, 2019  Nokia, Saudi Arabia, Zain  

Nokia announced a three-year deal with Zain Saudi Arabia to supply thousands of 5G sites across the country. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The deal introduces 5G using 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz, along with massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (mMIMO) to deliver enhanced network capacity, coverage, and improved downlink and uplink speeds. In addition, the deal will introduce E-Band microwave in certain areas to allow for ultra-high-capacity backhaul networks.

• Overview of the solution for the 5G deployment:
• Nokia AirScale radio platform 
• Nokia 5G Anyhaul: Nokia Wavence's E-band microwave radio with multi-frequency carrier aggregation will support multi-gigabit capacities and low-latency microwave transport
• Nokia NetGuard Security Management solution to ensure a highly secure 5G network
• Nokia Services: Full turnkey services including covering network planning, integration, implementation, project management, logistics and technical support

Nokia said it currently has 43 commercial 5G deals with operators around the world and is involved in more than 100 5G-related customer engagements.

Amr K. El Leithy, head of the Middle East and Africa market at Nokia, said:  "This contract, which includes 5G RAN, backhaul, security and services, demonstrates the breadth of our full-portfolio strengths and depth of global expertise in deploying these next-generation projects."

Zain now serves 50 million customers in Middle East & Africa

Thursday, May 02, 2019  Zain  

Zain Group, which delivers mobile services in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, reached the 50 million customer milestone as of the end of Q1 2019, reflecting a 6% increase year-on-year (Y-o-Y). Zain Group generated consolidated revenues of KD 404 million (USD 1.33 billion) for the first quarter of 2019, up 56% compared to the same period in 2018. EBITDA for the quarter reached KD 178 million (USD 586 million), up 111% Y-o-Y, reflecting...

READ MORE

Zain tests massive MIMO on TD-LTE using 2.6 GHz with Nokia

Tuesday, February 05, 2019  MIMO, Nokia, Saudi Arabia, Zain  

Zain KSA is testing a massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) pilot in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on its TD-LTE network using 2.6 GHz spectrum. The pilot uses Nokia's 5G-ready AirScale massive MIMO antenna for 4.9G calls to improve network capacity to provide speeds of above 700 Mbps per user. Massive MIMO uses 64-Transmit-64-Receive (64T64R), which allows gigabit-level throughput. Nokia said its 5G-ready AirScale massive MIMO antenna...

READ MORE

Zain Saudi Arabia tests NB-IoT

Tuesday, October 03, 2017  NB-IoT, Nokia, Saudi Arabia, Zain  

Zain Saudi Arabia is te

Read More

Nokia wins 5G contract with Zain Saudi Arabia

Nokia announced a three-year deal with Zain Saudi Arabia to supply thousands of 5G sites across the country. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The deal introduces 5G using 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz, along with massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (mMIMO) to deliver enhanced network capacity, coverage, and improved downlink and uplink speeds. In addition, the deal will introduce E-Band microwave in certain areas to allow for ultra-high-capacity backhaul networks.

• Overview of the solution for the 5G deployment:
• Nokia AirScale radio platform 
• Nokia 5G Anyhaul: Nokia Wavence's E-band microwave radio with multi-frequency carrier aggregation will support multi-gigabit capacities and low-latency microwave transport
• Nokia NetGuard Security Management solution to ensure a highly secure 5G network
• Nokia Services: Full turnkey services including covering network planning, integration, implementation, project management, logistics and technical support

Nokia said it currently has 43 commercial 5G deals with operators around the world and is involved in more than 100 5G-related customer engagements.

Amr K. El Leithy, head of the Middle East and Africa market at Nokia, said:  "This contract, which includes 5G RAN, backhaul, security and services, demonstrates the breadth of our full-portfolio strengths and depth of global expertise in deploying these next-generation projects."

Zain now serves 50 million customers in Middle East & Africa

Thursday, May 02, 2019  Zain  

Zain Group, which delivers mobile services in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, reached the 50 million customer milestone as of the end of Q1 2019, reflecting a 6% increase year-on-year (Y-o-Y). Zain Group generated consolidated revenues of KD 404 million (USD 1.33 billion) for the first quarter of 2019, up 56% compared to the same period in 2018. EBITDA for the quarter reached KD 178 million (USD 586 million), up 111% Y-o-Y, reflecting...

READ MORE

Zain tests massive MIMO on TD-LTE using 2.6 GHz with Nokia

Tuesday, February 05, 2019  MIMO, Nokia, Saudi Arabia, Zain  

Zain KSA is testing a massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) pilot in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on its TD-LTE network using 2.6 GHz spectrum. The pilot uses Nokia's 5G-ready AirScale massive MIMO antenna for 4.9G calls to improve network capacity to provide speeds of above 700 Mbps per user. Massive MIMO uses 64-Transmit-64-Receive (64T64R), which allows gigabit-level throughput. Nokia said its 5G-ready AirScale massive MIMO antenna...

READ MORE

Zain Saudi Arabia tests NB-IoT

Tuesday, October 03, 2017  NB-IoT, Nokia, Saudi Arabia, Zain  

Zain Saudi Arabia is testing NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) technology at a live site in Mina area of Makkah Province. Nokia is the technology partner. The trial focuses on smart metering. NB-IoT is used to communicate temperature, humidity and air pressure from a remote location via a Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 LTE base station at 900 MHz. NB-IoT is a 3GPP Release 13 radio access technology designed to enable connectivity to IoT device...

READ MORE

Kuwait-based Zain Group positions for digital transformation

Wednesday, August 30, 2017  Commentary, Kuwait, Research, Zain  

Kuwait-based Zain Group, which now has operations in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, has just raised $846 million in cash by selling a 9.8% equity stake to neighboring Omantel. The all-cash deal adds a measure of liquidity to Zain Group, which is aiming to transform itself into a digital service provider as it prepares for 5G and other advanced infrastructure. Zain Group, which was established in 1983 as Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications...

READ MORE

Zain Saudi Arabia upgrades LTE network using Nokia centralised RAN technology

Tuesday, May 09, 2017  Nokia, Saudi Arabia, Zain  

Nokia and Zain Saudi Arabia, which recently announced the deployment of Nokia's multi-access edge computing (MEC) platform in Mecca, have enhanced network upload speeds at Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports stadium by a claimed up to 50% utilising Nokia centralised RAN technology.The centralised RAN deployment is designed to improve uplink connectivity and quality of experience for attendees at football matches and other events held at the venue, known...

READ MORE

Zain Saudi Arabia deploys Nokia MEC in Mecca

Thursday, May 04, 2017  Nokia, Saudi Arabia, Zain  

Nokia announced that Zain Saudi Arabia has deployed its multi-access edge computing (MEC) platform to support the delivery of smart applications to subscribers around Mecca and help provide improved mobile experience during the Umrah and Hajj pilgrimage.Nokia stated that following a successful trial during the last Hajj, Nokia and Zain have deployed the Nokia MEC platform, combined with Edge Video Orchestration capability, in the network using both...

READ MORE

Read More

STC builds multivendor 5G with Huawei, Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) announced Multi-Vendor-Integration-Verification (MVIV) for its Huawei and Cisco core infrastructure with Ericsson and Nokia supplied 5G Radio Networks.

STC plans to a diverse 5G deployment through joint innovation with the goal of providing "the best “Ultra High Speed & Low Latency” experience for its customers.

Following its 5G launch in 2018, STC and its global partners have continued to conduct joint interoperability tests to ensure seamless interworking between all elements of STC infrastructure.

Eng. Khaled I. Al Dharrab, Infrastructure Sector VP, STC, said: “5G network is developing at a very high rate. STC is a leading worldwide operator with a commitment to pioneer the technological advancements and introduce new 5G services and use-cases. We have already put ourselves on the road to enable technology and shape the future of 5G services in the Kingdom. Our collaboration with our global suppliers will push forward the boundaries for our 5G ambitions. It will definitely lead to the rise of new class of services that will go far ahead in meeting our customers’ high expectations. A well-integrated 5G network with full interoperability will deliver endless possibilities and opportunities for our deserving customers. This will also facilitate the road towards meeting KSA national 2030 Vision”.

Read More

Saudi Telecom Co. signs Nokia for 5G

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) signed a deal to deploy a 5G network with Nokia's end-to-end 5G solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Nokia's equipment, software and services will be used to set up a 5G network first in the western and southern part of Saudi Arabia, including the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. The rollout phase is already ongoing and is expected to be completed by end of 2020.

Nokia's full 5G portfolio will provide STC subscribers with ultra-high bandwidth and low latency services, as well as new applications in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence.

The deal involves multiple firsts in STC's network, including the introduction of cloud RAN and AirScale, as well as the deployment of the Wavence platform in the microwave and the AirScale indoor radio.

Nasser Al-Nasser, STC Group CEO, said: "We are excited to work with Nokia on the Aspiration project which will help us realize our dream to be the first one to launch 5G services in the region. Once completed our subscribers will be able to enjoy innovative high bandwidth consuming use cases. The project underscores our support and commitment to the National Transformation Plan 2020 and the Government's Vision 2030 to drive Saudi Arabia's digital transformation into a knowledge economy. The leadership of our longstanding partner, Nokia, in the development of 5G is crucial for our launch of 5G services."

Read More

Zain tests massive MIMO on TD-LTE using 2.6 GHz with Nokia

Zain KSA is testing a massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) pilot in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on its TD-LTE network using 2.6 GHz spectrum. The pilot uses Nokia's 5G-ready AirScale massive MIMO antenna for 4.9G calls to improve network capacity to provide speeds of above 700 Mbps per user.

Massive MIMO uses 64-Transmit-64-Receive (64T64R), which allows gigabit-level throughput. Nokia said its 5G-ready AirScale massive MIMO antenna paves the way for the transition to 5G and coexistence with LTE on the 2.6 GHz band, delivering better network capacity, improving coverage and significantly enhancing uplink and downlink speed.

Eng. Sultan Abdulaziz AlDeghaither, CEO of Zain Saudi Arabia, said: "This pilot is a significant milestone in our journey towards 5G. The deployment of massive MIMO helps us meet our customers' evolving needs for the best experience even while using multiple bandwidth-hungry applications. As our longstanding partner, we are confident that Nokia's proven expertise will allow us to provide innovative use cases to Zain KSA's individual and enterprise customers."

Read More

Ericsson demos 5G at mall in Saudi Arabia with Mobily

Ericsson and Saudi telecom operator Mobily and Ericsson are showcasing 5G at the Mall of Arabia in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The demo features a standalone end-to-end 5G system, including a prototype 3.5GHz radio, baseband, and prototype UE device for the 5G demo, which showcased 5G throughput, targeting speeds of up to 1Gbps.

Mazid Al Harbi, CTO of Mobily, says: “We are wholly supportive of Saudi Vision 2030 and the push towards enhancing our digital economy. Our investment in 5G is demonstrative of our commitment to improving network performance and enhancing the customer experience across Saudi Arabia. Our partnership with Ericsson enables us to provide a state-of-the art scalable network to serve consumers and industries across Saudi Arabia now and in the 5G future.”

Read More

Zain Saudi Arabia tests NB-IoT

Zain Saudi Arabia is testing NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) technology at a live site in Mina area of Makkah Province. Nokia is the technology partner.

The trial focuses on smart metering. NB-IoT is used to communicate temperature, humidity and air pressure from a remote location via a Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 LTE base station at 900 MHz.

NB-IoT is a 3GPP Release 13 radio access technology designed to enable connectivity to IoT devices.

Read More

Zain Saudi Arabia upgrades LTE network using Nokia centralised RAN technology

Nokia and Zain Saudi Arabia, which recently announced the deployment of Nokia's multi-access edge computing (MEC) platform in Mecca, have enhanced network upload speeds at Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports stadium by a claimed up to 50% utilising Nokia centralised RAN technology.

The centralised RAN deployment is designed to improve uplink connectivity and quality of experience for attendees at football matches and other events held at the venue, known as the Al Jawhara Stadium, Jeddah's largest stadium.

Nokia noted that the popularity of events held at the stadium has prompted Zain Saudi Arabia to seek technology to address spikes in uplink data traffic triggered by large numbers of fans sharing photos and videos on social media. Zain selected Nokia's centralised RAN technology to improve uplink performance, specifically by deploying clusters of LTE base stations within the stadium to optimise bandwidth performance and address uplink congestion in the 1800 MHz bands.

The Nokia solution also helps improve smartphone energy efficiency as less power is required when uploading content. For the project, Nokia also provided professional services to support the design, testing and optimisation the performance of the new centralised RAN technology.

The Nokia centralised RAN is deployed on Zain's LTE network that is based on Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 base station. The Nokia centralised RAN technology enables more than 60,000 fans to share content with up to 50% higher upload speed, with the capacity improvement supporting a claimed 31% increase in uplink traffic for events held at the Al Jawhara Stadium.

Earlier in May, Nokia announced that following a successful trial, Zain had deployed the Nokia MEC platform, combined with Edge Video Orchestration capability, into its network using both macro and small cell base stations to enhance services for Zain's subscribers. The solution leverages Nokia AirFrame data centre technology to support high levels of data processing.

http://www.nokia.com/en_int/news/releases

Read More

Zain Saudi Arabia deploys Nokia MEC in Mecca

Nokia announced that Zain Saudi Arabia has deployed its multi-access edge computing (MEC) platform to support the delivery of smart applications to subscribers around Mecca and help provide improved mobile experience during the Umrah and Hajj pilgrimage.

Nokia stated that following a successful trial during the last Hajj, Nokia and Zain have deployed the Nokia MEC platform, combined with Edge Video Orchestration capability, in the network using both macro and small cell base stations with the aim of enhancing services for Zain's subscribers.

The Nokia MEC solution is designed to improve mobile applications by enabling them to be hosted closer to the edge of the network, and therefore nearer to subscribers. This allows more efficient use of the network resources, as well as enabling the delivery of tailored services in high-traffic locations and conditions.

In addition, by combining MEC with Edge Video Orchestration video feeds can be more efficiently broadcast to multiple subscriber devices simultaneously with millisecond latency. As part of this solution, the Nokia AirFrame data centre technology performs the high levels of data processing that is required. Nokia also provided network implementation, system integration and network planning and optimisation services for the deployment.

Nokia noted that during the Umrah and Hajj, subscribers have access to two site-specific applications over the MEC-enabled network, specifically the Zain People Finder, which provides crowd navigation to help people meet up, and the Live Hajj application, which allows viewing of video streams from the Al Rahmah Mountain in Arafat and the Jamarat area.

http://www.nokia.com/en_int/news/releases

• Previously, in 2016 Zain Saudi Arabia and Nokia announced they had entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering collaboration on a major smart city initiative, designed to transform Jeddah, one of Saudi Arabia's largest cities, into a model smart city by 2018.
  
• Under the agreement, Nokia and Zain are implementing advanced networking technologies in the areas of IoT and the cloud with the objective of enabling connectivity and management for an array of devices, vehicles, homes and applications. The initiative is intended to improve municipal services and the business environment in Jeddah, as well as improve the quality of life for its residents. The two-year project also covered the upgrade of Zain's mobile broadband network in Jeddah in preparation for 5G.
• 
  

Read More