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Ericsson and Zain Bahrain sign agreement to expand 4G and 5G networks
( Left to right) Ali Isa Al Yaham, Zain Bahrain and Nicolas Blixell, Ericsson Middle East and Africa
Ericsson and Zain Bahrain have signed an agreement to expand Zain Bahrain’ s 4G and 5G networks in the country. This agreement will also extend their managed services collaboration for an additional three years to optimise network efficiency and elevate customer experiences.
The mobile broadband network expansion will leverage Ericsson’ s energy-efficient Radio Access Network, RAN products, including the dual-band Massive MIMO AIR 3229 and triple-band Radio 4466. These products will boost network coverage, capacity, and reduce energy consumption by up to 20 %, while contributing to achieve Zain Bahrain’ s sustainability targets. Additionally, this initiative is part of Zain Bahrain’ s broader investment plan with Ericsson, aimed at advancing the country’ s digital transformation objectives.
As part of the extended Managed Services contract, Ericsson will continue to use data-driven methodologies to streamline processes, improve service metrics, and reduce time-to-market.
The agreement also includes the modernisation of the core network, introducing
Ericsson’ s cloud-native Evolved Packet Core, EPC, part of Ericsson’ s dual-mode 5G Core solution, and a modernised cloud-native Unified Data Management function, which will enhance the capacity and further strengthen the capabilities of its network.
Ali Isa Al Yaham, Chief Technology Officer of Zain Bahrain, says,“ Our continued partnership with Ericsson demonstrates our commitment to delivering superior customer experiences in Bahrain of Bahrain.” Nicolas Blixell, Vice President and Head of Gulf Council Countries at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says,“ This agreement introduces technologies that not only elevate network performance but also lay the foundation for enhanced network capabilities. By combining advanced solutions with sustainable innovations, we are empowering Zain Bahrain to deliver exceptional, future-proof services to their customers in Bahrain.”
Ericsson and Ooredoo sign MoU to drive industry-specific 5G solutions
Ericsson, and Ooredoo Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU to accelerate digital transformation for enterprises and public sector organisations in the country. The MoU aims to drive industryspecific 5G solutions by co-developing private or dedicated 5G network solutions for key verticals such as manufacturing, airports, and oil and gas, supported by Ericsson Private 5G. Ericsson Private 5G sets a new standard for network performance, enabling secure, reliable, high-speed 4G and 5G connectivity powered by its robust dual-mode core and industry-radio portfolio.
( Left to right) Todd Ashton, Ericsson Middle East and Africa and Thani Al Malki, Ooredoo Qatar
Bespoke mission-critical solutions for public safety, digital airspace, and rail ensure mission-critical-grade performance through network availability, multi-network operation, coverage and capacity, security and hardening, and Quality of Service, QoS, priority, and pre-emption.
Additionally, the collaboration will explore sustainability initiatives by leveraging connectivity and 5G to drive environmental impact, decarbonise industries, and build a more sustainable network future. Through knowledge-sharing and collaboration, Ericsson and Ooredoo will accelerate the journey to Net Zero.
Under the MoU, Ericsson will supply its Ericsson Private 5G and mission-critical network solutions, introduce ecosystem partners, provide Ooredoo with global references, use cases, and best practices, and engage in joint discussions with enterprises and public sector organisations to offer expertise and knowledge-sharing sessions on 5G-enabled sustainability use cases.
Thani Al Malki, Chief Business Officer, from Ooredoo Qatar, says,“ Enterprises are rapidly embracing digitalisation and automation to drive efficiency, unlock new revenue streams, and enable cutting-edge innovations. Through Ooredoo’ s latest collaboration with Ericsson on private 5G solutions, we will contribute to driving advanced use cases across industries in Qatar, from autonomous operations to mission-critical public services.”
Todd Ashton, Vice President and Head of Enterprise and Mission Critical at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says,“ Ericsson’ s mission critical communications deliver next generation, high performing, resilient and secure mobile broadband communication services.”
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