Nokia Networks and Saudi Arabia-based Mobily on Nov. 5 announced a continuation of their partnership, which includes managed services and expansion of the telecom operator’s 2G, 3G and LTE mobile networks.
Nokia and Mobily have been in business together for the past three years and, with the new agreement, will continue together for five more years.
“Our top priority is ensuring the best possible customer experience even when our network becomes more and more complex due to multiplicity of network layers, especially when providing data services,” Mobily CEO Khaled Alkaf said.
Nokia will provide Mobily with network optimization and maintenance services as well as boosting Mobily’s SingleRAN (radio access network) platform, which supports 2G, 3G and both TD LTE and FDD LTE.
Alkaf said Nokia “will help us expand our network capacity to provide further improved voice and data services for our customers. Nokia Networks’ proven products and services have helped us boost our network and service performance at an optimal cost of ownership and reduced carbon footprint in the past.”
TD and FDD are variations of LTE (long-term evolution) technology carried by different spectrum frequencies.
Nokia Networks’ EVP of Global Services Igor Leprince said the renewed partnership will help Mobily “achieve world-class network quality and operational efficiency, and consolidate its strong position in a highly competive market.”
Mobily’s market share covers approximately 40% of Saudi mobile subscribers, according to the company, which controls the majority of shares in the Saudi National Fiber Network, comprised of nearly 8,000 miles of fiber cable.
