Zain KSA recently said it aims to accelerate the deployment of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) services from 2024
Saudi telecommunications operator Zain KSA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nokia for cooperation on 5G cloud RAN infrastructure, Nokia said in a release.
Through this agreement, Zain KSA and Nokia will explore the deployment of cloud RAN infrastructure for specific sectors, including personal and enterprise services. They noted that this new technology will improve network efficiency and enable Arab carriers to offer cutting-edge solutions.
Abdulrahman Al Mufada, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Zain KSA, said: By exploring Cloud RAN technology, we aim to enhance network performance, reliability, and scalability, and ultimately enrich the digital experience of our subscribers. ”
Zain KSA aims to accelerate the rollout of 5G Advanced (5G-A) services from 2024, Mohamed Abdulaziz Al-Nujaidi, the carrier’s engineering executive general manager, said recently.
Telecom companies launched 5G-A services last year. The executive said in a presentation at MWC Barcelona 2024 that the initial launch took place in the capital Riyadh, with the aim of offering differentiated “FWA 2.0” services.
The executive explained that the carrier’s plans for 2024-2026 include the commercial launch of 5G-A services in Saudi Arabia’s top eight cities. He added that the news agency aims to utilize this technology to provide his IoT CCTV that meets public safety governance requirements. Zain said they aim to launch this service through RedCap technology.
The company’s 5G-A plan from 2027 to 2030 includes the second phase of the 5G-A program, in which 18 major cities in the country will be covered with 5G-A technology.
Last year, Chinese vendors Huawei and Zein had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the “5.5G” City joint innovation project.
Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will jointly work to accelerate innovation for the so-called 5.5G evolution and expand scalable services to residential, business and government customers across Saudi Arabia.
The companies also said they aim to build a pioneer network that will pave the way to achieving the national digitalization goals outlined in the Saudi Vision 2030 framework.
According to the vendor, the partnership includes providing “Gigabit experiences in both indoor and outdoor scenarios” through MetaAAU and 5G carrier aggregation, as well as large-scale deployment of Huawei’s LampSite digital indoor solution.
The companies will also collaborate on developing new use cases for the Internet of Things (IoT) and private network solutions.
