Ericsson teams with e& (formerly Etisalat)

Ericsson and e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group) will collaborate on reducing energy consumption and building more efficient and sustainable future networks.

The three-year partnership aims to support the Net Zero strategy of e& and Ericsson while exploring opportunities to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. The companies will also collaborate in hosting a series of knowledge-sharing sessions, covering Ericsson’s global expertise in energy-efficient strategies, such as its 'Breaking the Energy Curve' initiative.

Sabri Ali Albreiki, Chief Technology Officer, e& international, says: "Through our partnership with Ericsson, we aim to accelerate the decarbonisation of our network infrastructure business by exploring the deployment of their latest generation of energy efficient radio equipment and software features. We will also work together to use the Ericsson Product Take-Back programme to dispose of and recycle obsolete network equipment to high environmental standards. This agreement is part of e&'s broader commitment to reduce waste and achieve a sustainable low-carbon society.”  

• Etisalat Group changed its brand identity to e&  in February 2022.

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/5/2022/e-and-ericsson-partner-to-build-more-sustainable-future-networks

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Etisalat UAE teams with Nokia on private 5G

Nokia signed an agreement with Etisalat UAE to deploy 5G private wireless networks to support enterprises across Abu Dhabi. The two companies will work together to support businesses in various industries, including ports, oil and gas, government and critical infrastructure, by digitally transforming their operations and embracing Industry 4.0 through 5G use cases.

Nokia and Etisalat UAE will offer a variety of solutions, including Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), Modular Private Wireless (MPW) and Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), to meet the diverse needs of various enterprises. In addition, the frame agreement includes Nokia Group Communications with push-to-talk and push-to-video capabilities, as well as Enterprise Voice Core (EVC). Nokia and Etisalat UAE will be able to develop 5G-enabled use cases to support digital transformation and improve operational efficiency across multiple industries with this broad set of solutions.

Khalid Murshed, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Etisalat UAE, said: “We are committed to supporting the government's vision to accelerate digital transformation of businesses so they can capture emerging opportunities. This collaboration with our long-term partner Nokia is in line with this vision and will provide our customers with best-in-class solutions. 5G private wireless networks will allow them to boost productivity, enhance operational efficiency, and grow revenue while improving customer experience."

Rima Manna, Vice President of Middle East Business at Nokia, said: “With over 75 5G and more than 420 private wireless customers around the world, Nokia offers field-proven technology and expertise in the 5G private wireless networks domain. Etisalat is a leader in innovation, and we look forward to collaborating on this initiative to provide industry-leading solutions to help enterprises across the country on their digital transformation journeys. This partnership will assist Etisalat in increasing revenue while leveraging 5G spectrum and deployment.”

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AWS to open data centers in UAE

Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to open an infrastructure region in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first half of 2022. 

The new AWS Middle East (UAE) Region will consist of three Availability Zones and become AWS’s second region in the Middle East with the existing AWS Region in Bahrain

AWS Regions are comprised of Availability Zones, which place infrastructure in separate and distinct geographic locations with enough distance to significantly reduce the risk of a single event mpacting customers’ business continuity, yet near enough to provide low latency for high availability applications that leverage multiple Availability Zones. Each Availability Zone has independent power, cooling, and physical security and is connected through redundant, ultra-low-latency networks.

.“We are excited to build on the great momentum of cloud adoption in the Middle East by providing more choice for customers in the UAE to run applications and store data locally,” said Peter DeSantis, Senior Vice President of Global Infrastructure, AWS. “The new AWS Region supports the UAE’s focus on promoting technology innovation that has made it a thriving global hub for entrepreneurs, e-governments, and multi-national businesses. With the new region, organizations of all sizes will be able to innovate faster and serve end-users with even lower latency across the region.”

His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, said, “AWS's expansion into the UAE is a testament to our rapidly growing innovation ecosystem that will benefit from access to the world's leading cloud platform and its advanced technologies and solutions. Building on Abu Dhabi's smart infrastructure and digital transformation, AWS’s investment will further enable innovators and companies with globally-relevant solutions to realize new opportunities in the UAE and beyond.”

Globally, AWS has 80 Availability Zones across 25 geographic regions, with plans to launch 18 more Availability Zones and six more AWS Regions in Australia, India, Indonesia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.

https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure/

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United Arab Emirates’ du picks Ericsson 5G RAN

United Arab Emirates’ du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), has selected Ericsson's 5G radio access network (RAN) products and solutions. 

Following the 2021 deployment, which includes Ericsson AI-powered 5G network optimization services utilizing Cognitive Software, du and its customers will benefit from a 5G RAN network that will enhance versatility, improve capacity, increase cost efficiency and future-proof technology developments.

Fahad Al Hassawi, Acting CEO, du, says: “Utilizing the full power of 5G to support industries and empowering our customers to reap the full rewards of this technology is among our top priorities at du. The technological evolution continues to accelerate at unprecedented speed, and it is our responsibility to ensure those we serve can capitalize on every related benefit and opportunity. du has always enjoyed an excellent relationship with Ericsson. As such, we are delighted to be joined by the organization as we pursue 5G radio network expansion and attempt to harness the full power of 5G. With a next-generation 5G radio network, du will deliver newfound capabilities and further support the UAE’s digital transformation agenda.”

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “The path to a digital future is paved through the power of transformative technologies such as 5G. Our new partnership with du will deliver on that promise and enable an ecosystem of possibilities. We are pleased to work with du on 5G technology as their new network infrastructure partner, gaining us new market position to further contribute to the development of the UAE digital society vision, empowering new services and use cases for consumers, enterprises and society at large.”

 

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UAE satellite operators consolidate -- Yahsat takes over Thuraya

Yahsat, a leading global satellite operator based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, completed the acquisition of a majority and controlling stake in the mobile satellite services operator Thuraya.

Thuraya, which was the first satellite operator from the UAE, operates two satellites serving over 160 countries. Yahsat has three satellites of its own.

The combination of geostationary satellites operating in the C, Ka, Ku and L-bands will jointly cover Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Asia, providing a broad range of Fixed and Mobile Satellite Services spanning voice and data communications to both commercial and government sectors.

Ali Al Hashemi, who has led Yahsat Government Solutions, Yahsat's specialised unit fulfilling defense and governmental client requirements, for the past few years is announced as the new CEO of Thuraya, while former CEO Ahmed Al Shamsi will remain as Advisor to the CEO. Ali Al Hashemi, will at the same time continue to be General Manager of Yahsat Government Solutions.

Commenting on the Thuraya acquisition, Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of Yahsat stated: "The Thuraya acquisition provides us with an ideal opportunity to grow and diversify our business, bolstering our satellite solutions capabilities on both government and commercial fronts.

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du Tests Nokia's 40 Gbps TWDM PON

Nokia has supplied its Time and Wavelength Division Multiplexing Passive Optical Network (TWDM-PON) technology to UAE-based telecommunications service provider du for testing in its lab.  The PON solution is capable of aggregate speeds of 40 Gbps.

Nokia said its unique next-generation Passive Optical Network solution will enable du to upgrade its existing GPON network to XGS-PON or TWDM-PON on a single fiber.

Jasim AlAwadi, Vice President - Network Infrastructure & Services, at du, comments: "With the increased use of smart devices and bandwidth-hungry applications by our subscribers, the demand for an ultra-fast network also keeps increasing. Keeping our customers on the top of our mind, we pioneer by introducing market-leading technologies to them. Our successful test of Nokia's TWDM-PON is proof of this. We are confident that our cooperation will take the country's journey toward IoT and smart cities to the next level."

Rima Manna, head of the du customer team at Nokia, says: "With its current strategy, du is very well positioned to evolve its network now and in the long term, and meet the customer needs of one of the leading broadband countries in the world. With this latest successful test, we reiterate our commitment to du in its endeavor to launch truly innovative services for its subscribers across the country."

http://www.nokia.com/en_int/news/releases/2016/12/13/du-prepares-for-fastest-fiber-broadband-in-the-uae-with-successful-test-of-nokias-next-generation-40-gigabit-twdm-pon-technology

Alcatel-Lucent Intros 10G TWDM-PON

Thursday, February 12, 2015  Alcatel-Lucent, DWDM, Last Mile, PON, TWDM  No Comments

Alcatel-Lucent is looking to bring down the cost of TWDM-PON (Time and Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Networks) by allowing different types of optics to be used.  Currently, TWDM-PON requires new optics capable of providing four tunable 10 Gbps wavelengths.

Alcatel-Lucent's new ‘Universal TWDM’ solution enables operators to initially deploy one non-tunable 10 Gbps wavelength and easily add more pluggable as demand grows, providing a smooth upgrade to full TWDM without the need to replace network components, evaluate new technology, or reconfigure operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS).

"The primary obstacle for deploying new ultra-broadband infrastructure and services is the business case. Universal TWDM is Alcatel-Lucent’s innovative solution to this challenge. We are enabling operators to build upon their existing fiber investments while bringing down the total cost of ownership of TWDM technology. This means they can immediately address new high-revenue opportunities for gigabit services while knowing that their investment is future-proof,” stated Federico Guillén, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Fixed Access Business Line.

The company noted that Universal TWDM and full TWDM-PON can co-exist with current PON technology. Alcaltel-Lucent also estimates that Universal TWDM will have a similar cost as established 10 Gbps technologies, such as XG-PON.

http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/press/2015/alcatel-lucents-universal-twdm-technology-accelerate-deployment-superfast-gigabit-ultra-broadband

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Ericsson Lands IT Managed Services Contract with du

Ericsson announced a long-term deal to manage and operate du's IT infrastructure. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ericsson will deploy its global tools, processes and ways of working on an end-to-end basis to improve du's infrastructure performance and support high-quality customer experiences. Ericsson will manage du's IT service desk, data center operations, and user computing and enterprise system management processes. In addition, Ericsson will manage IT application operations for du's Enterprise Support Systems as well as Operational and Business Support Systems.

http://www.ericsson.com

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Nokia Networks Tests Drones for Network Inspections

Nokia Network is testing unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) carrying smartphones with cameras and testing applications to inspect and survey mobile infrastructure.

Nokia recently conducted a test of these telco drones in partnership with Du at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai Sports City, which has a seating capacity of 25,000 people. The Proof of Concept (PoC) gathered network data and provided Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for a speedy performance test and efficient network optimization actions. Telco drones were also used for tower inspections, radio planning and Line of Sight (LoS) testing between radio towers.

Automated testing and analysis is more efficient than traditional manual walk tests, as drones can cover the desired area quicker. Additionally, the test data is collected automatically and sent to a server so that it can be instantly processed at Nokia Networks’ Global Delivery Center (GDC) for immediate reporting and any necessary actions to improve network performance.

Telco drones were also used for tower inspections to reduce the number of times technicians need to climb up and down a telecom tower, as well as for radio planning and Line of Sight (LoS) testing. The engineers knew if a frequency used was impacted by trees, if there was sufficient power to cover the distance, what the simulated latency would look like and what performance over such a connection could be expected. This helped achieve optimal site design, establish a clear LoS, as well as suitable antenna height and site location.

http://networks.nokia.com/news-events/press-room/press-releases/nokia-networks-du-first-in-uae-to-use-telco-drones-for-better-network-planning-faster-opti

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