Nokia said that it has been selected by Ooredoo Group to bring multiple technologies and services, including 5G, to customers in Mena and Southeast Asia as part of a multi-country, five-year deal.

The deal, which builds on Nokia’s global partnership with Ooredoo, will see Nokia expand Ooredoo’s existing network, as well as introduce new 5G services. The deployment is already underway and is expected to be completed by 2026 in all these countries.

Under the deal, Nokia will deploy equipment from its latest AirScale RAN portfolio on sites across North Africa and Southeast Asia. Nokia’s AirScale radio platform features the flexibility and capability required for delivering 5G services to consumers and enterprises across different spectrum bands. The deal also includes digital deployment services supporting a faster time to market as well as technical support services.

Nokia will also provide its cloud-native Core software to give Ooredoo zero-touch automation capabilities that will drive greater scale and reliability. Supported by Nokia Cloud Packet Core, Voice Core, Registers, Policy Controller, Signaling and Cloud Platform, Ooredoo will be able to introduce network slicing to launch and grow new services spanning health, smart cities, banking, transportation, and public safety more rapidly.

Nokia’s optical solutions will ensure expansion and applications flow for Ooredoo’s state-of-the-art optical network without constraint. This provides increased network flexibility and operational automation through zero-touch transparent photonic networking.

Nokia’s microwave transport supports 5G microwave growth and new spectrum like E-band. The transport networks will enable seamless launching of new services where communities and businesses can rely on privacy, security, and near instant response times.

Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Managing Director, Ooredoo Group, said: “This renewed contract is testimony to our growing partnership with Nokia to modernize and expand our network by rolling out world-class 4G and 5G services across North Africa and Southeast Asia. Thanks to Nokia’s advanced technology, our customers will be able to experience faster speeds and enhanced response times as well as more bandwidth.”

Pekka Lundmark, President and Chief Executive Officer at Nokia, said: “We are excited to continue delivering robust networks to Ooredoo’s customers. This new five-year deal will accelerate the benefits of Nokia’s technology – including 5G – for consumers in Mena and Southeast Asia and will enable businesses to digitalize and innovate with new services.

“The move to 5G will drive radical transformation across industries, communities and public services and we are proud to continue supporting Ooredoo Group on this journey.” – TradeArabia News Service