Nokia said its smart nodes are expected to enhance indoor connectivity for Zain KSA’s enterprise clients
Nokia and Zain KSA have announced a collaboration to address indoor mobile coverage challenges and optimize enterprise connectivity in Saudi Arabia.
The partnership will introduce what it claims to be the region’s first 4G/5G Femtocell solution in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.
The initiative will involve deploying Nokia’s 4G and 5G smart nodes alongside several of its other products and services, including IP Security Gateway, Femto Manager and End-to-End Delivery solutions.
Nokia said its smart nodes are expected to enhance indoor connectivity for Zain KSA’s enterprise clients by ensuring secure and reliable 4G and 5G network availability at diverse business locations.
Haitham Baba, head of enterprise mobile networks at Nokia Saudi Arabia, said: “Our smart node solution helps Zain KSA improve its B2B time-to-market, elevate customer experiences, and manage network traffic efficiently. This partnership further strengthens our collaboration with Zain KSA to deliver superior network solutions and support B2B growth.”
Abdullah AlHadlag, vice president of marketing and business development at Zain KSA, added: “This initiative aligns with our dedication to sustainable, future-ready technologies, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and reinforcing our role in advancing the Kingdom’s digital transformation.”
Nokia noted that this optimized indoor connectivity solution is designed to address the specific requirements of enterprise clients.
In May 2024, Zain KSA announced plans to invest a total of SAR1.6 billion ($427 million) to expand its 5G network and digital services ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. The operator said it will expand its current 5G network coverage to 122 cities across the country.
The telco’s plan stipulates the expansion of its 5G network sites in the country to more than 7,000, covering over 66% of Saudi Arabia’s populated area. The operator also said that nearly 45% of the new expansion plan will support 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technologies.
Zain KSA’s Engineering Executive General Manager Mohammed Abdulazis AlNujaidi previously said that the telco was expecting to accelerate the deployment of (5G-A) services from 2024.
The telco launched 5G-A services in 2023. The initial launch took place in the capital of 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. The telco aims to use this technology to offer IoT CCTV for public security governance requirements, he added. Zain said it aims to launch this offering via RedCap technology.
The telco’s 5G-A plans for 2027-2030 includes the second phase of its 5G-A program, in which the country’s main 18 cities will be covered with 5G-A technology.
