Displaying items by tag: Saudi Arabia

Network technology experts from around the Middle East participated in the Huawei Middle East IP Club Carnival 2020, to discuss the rapid pace of digital transformation and how connectivity is accelerating in the world around us, completely transforming the way we live and work. The two-day event was held online on July 13 and 14 under the theme ‘Rethink IP: New Connection, New Dimension’.

During the virtual event, Huawei took a step further in campus networking by unveiling CloudCampus 2.0, its latest campus network solution. Standing out with intelligent upgrades in connectivity, experience, and O&M, this future-proof solution helps enterprises of all sizes to build gigabit fully-wireless smart campus networks and accelerate the connectivity of everything in enterprise campuses.

CloudCampus 2.0 addresses the increasing demand of latency-sensitive and bandwidth-hungry applications on campus networks, by guaranteeing quality of key services, enough bandwidth per user, and other requirements so that enterprises can experience seamless connectivity within their campus.

Within the CloudCampus 2.0 range is a full line-up of all-new, high-bandwidth, high-performance wired and wireless network devices, able to accelerate digital transformation for enterprises of any kind.

New CloudCampus 2.0 products include Huawei AirEngine 8760, the industry’s only Wi-Fi 6 AP to support 16 spatial streams and delivery 10.75 Gbps throughput; Huawei's all-new CloudEngine S series multi-GE switches (CloudEngine S5732-H), which provides up to 48 ports capable of GE, 2.5GE, 5GE, and 10GE speeds and allow on-demand rate upgrades through software, and Huawei CloudEngine S12700E, which provides 40-port 25GE line cards with a large buffer of 4 GB and combines these advantages with HQoS to ensure uncompromised experience of key users and applications.

The Huawei Middle East IP Club is an initiative aimed at building an open, cooperative and sharing platform and comprising network technology experts from around the region.

During the interactive Carnival 2020 online event, members had the opportunity to share discussions with global and regional experts on the latest wireless campus technology trends, and how enterprises can build fully wireless, secure workplaces and campus networks based on next generation Wi-Fi 6 technologies to meet future digitalization demands.

Dr. Li Xing, President of the Campus Network Domain, Data Communication Product Line, Huawei said, “The Huawei Middle East IP Club Carnival 2020 is an essential event to share knowledge and experiences, and discuss the most pressing matters in the digitization journey today. Our world is constantly changing as a result of rapid advances in technology, and many businesses still do not understand how to fully utilize connectivity and digitization to their benefit. By bringing together the region’s foremost minds in IP, we are able to create strong platforms for dialogue that will see exciting new pathways opening up for businesses and individuals across the region to take advantage of the best practices.”

During a panel discussion, ‘How can enterprises accelerate digital transformation based on the next-generation all-wireless campus network,’ the online event witnessed industry leaders sharing use cases and presenting how challenges were overcome in their enterprise campus networks, as well as success stories in campus digital transformation in an ever-changing business scenario. Panelists included Bill Menezes, Director Analyst, Gartner; Eng. Saad AlMasradi AlQahtani, Assistant Deputy Minister, Digital Technologies at Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia; Saud Al Salmi, Network Department Director, Oman Royal Court Affairs; Dr. Li Xing, President of the Campus Network Domain, Data Communication Product Line, Huawei; Dr. Osama Aboul-Magd, Chair of IEEE 802.11ax, Chair of IEEE 802.11 HEW SG, Chair of IEEE 802.11ac, Huawei, and Faisal Malik, CTO, Enterprise Group, Huawei Middle East.

“Wi-Fi6 has been a true enabler for our digital transformation, and has helped us to overcome the challenges of the current situation. We have been able to provide advanced patient-centric healthcare services, from remote collaboration to telemedicine & patient monitoring, eventually easing patients’ lives.” commented Eng. Saad AlMasradi AlQahtani, Assistant Deputy Minister, Digital Technologies at Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia.

“Huawei’s all-wireless campus technology, such as Wi-Fi6 has enabled us to adopt various government services in a wireless environment and has helped us a lot by providing benefits such as much better network coverage, improved capacity & more efficient video broadcasting for 4K and 8K video, ultimately enhancing overall user experience,” added Saud Al Salmi, Network department director, Oman Royal Court Affairs.

Event participants also took a virtual tour of the Huawei Data Communications Network Innovation Lab and the Songshan Lake campus in China, to see how the company leverages cutting-edge network technologies for its own digital transformation.

“Businesses are going digital faster than ever before,” Dr. Li Xing added. “During this process, demand will continue to grow for intelligent IP networks that provide super capacity, intelligent experience, and autonomous driving. Moving forward, we will continue to invest in innovation, and innovate together with our customers and partners, to maintain a lead in intelligent IP networks and help relevant standards mature.”

Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) has launched Microsoft Azure Stack, a hybrid cloud-based computing software solution, in Saudi Arabia.

Azure Stack aims to help companies build their own environment using the same tools and solutions as that of Microsoft Azure public cloud.

With Microsoft Azure Stack platform, ITC will help organizations implement the same capabilities that Azure public cloud offers, within ITC’s data center inside the Kingdom. It is also the safest way to have security and control over businesses’ critical data.

Additionally, with the option of scalability, resources can be increased as per businesses’ needs and demand. ITC provides a full spectrum of Deployment Planning Services for Microsoft Azure Stack Cloud Service.

This service is in addition to the Microsoft Azure Express Route service where ITC provides a direct international link from KSA to the Azure Data Centers globally.

The CCO of ITC , Mr. Radwan Al-Mufleh said,"Microsoft Azure Stack is one of the most essential cloud-based services provided by the company to help its clients experience the benefits of Microsoft cloud with the flexibility and control they need. ITC also provides direct dedicated links to MS Data Centers outside KSA”.

ITC works with a number of leading specialist technical companies to provide telecom solutions, managed services, security services, cloud computing services and connectivity to government, banking and business sectors, making it one of the leading providers of telecommunications and ICT services in the Kingdom.

MySTC App has received the ‘App of the Year’ Golden Award at the Network PG's 2019 IT World Awards, which is organized annually in San Francisco and attended by major award winning companies and projects.

Saudi Arabia’s Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), in collaboration with Nokia, has successfully conducted a trial of LTE to the Home (LTTH) and implemented it using FastMile technology to enable LTE technology on a 4G network and become available on 2G networks. This comes out of Mobily’s interest to provide the best speeds for its customers with high quality.

“We have a long and fruitful relationship with Nokia, and this successful trial starts a new chapter in our association, through applying FastMile Nokia technology that will enable Mobily to extend the reach of our network in new areas. At the same time, it will allow us to use the existing infrastructure thus helping us to control our expenditure,” said Alaa Malki – CNO, Mobily.

Such contributions from Mobily are due to it being a leading company in the field of telecom and IT in Saudi Arabia, and out of its pursuit to implement the latest technologies for the benefit of its customers to enjoy high quality services in line with current and future technological developments.

“We are pleased to work with Mobily on this trial and support their plans to provide best-in-class broadband services to their subscribers,” said Tony Awad, Head of Mobily Customer Team, Nokia. “With this deployment, Mobily will be able to attract new customers who are currently unable to enjoy broadband services. Nokia FastMile will also allow them to minimize the deployment cost by utilizing the existing mobile infrastructure.”

Nokia and Zain Saudi Arabia are deploying Nokia's FastMile technology to provide a superior customer experience to Zain's customers. The deployment, the first for Nokia FastMile in the Middle East and Africa region, follows a successful trial of the technology which recorded speeds of 20 Mbps - significant considering the current demands on 4G networks - and provided seamless 4G macro network coverage to reach users located in a challenging environment.

Zain is deploying the technology in the western and southern region of the country and also in the cities of Jeddah and Makkah. Interestingly, the FastMile solution will not only be deployed in the typical rural environments, but more in suburban areas, where no fiber or copper network is available, using the 1800 MHz band.

"We are enthusiastic about the success of the Nokia FastMile trial and the subsequent deployment of the technology, which will help us address the problem of poor in-house coverage and provide a much-improved user experience,” said Eng. Sultan Abdulaziz AlDeghaither, Chief Technology Officer, Zain Saudi Arabia. “We are committed to providing the best-in-class quality of experience to our customers, and this project is a key step in that direction."

Service providers usually struggle with in-house coverage in a 4G network. Nokia FastMile allows them to improve in-house coverage and provide ultra-fast mobile broadband speeds to end-users by cost effectively re-using an existing macro network infrastructure. In this case, the increase in throughput will enable Zain to build additional revenue streams by launching new and innovative services, as well as help attract new subscribers.

"This deployment starts a new chapter in our longstanding relationship with Zain. We look forward to working with them to deliver a better broadband experience,” said Ali Al Jitawi, head of the Zain Saudi Arabia customer team at Nokia. “FastMile provides operators with an innovative way to re-use existing networks to meet growing broadband requirements. This deployment reinforces Zain's technology leadership, allowing it to use the latest technology solutions to meet the requirements of their customers."

Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) in Saudi Arabia reported a Q3 loss, blaming a requirement introduced last year that customers had to register their fingerprint with SIM cards. The company’s net losses increased by 5 percent to 174.5 million riyals ($46.53 million) it said in a statement to the Saudi bourse. Revenue also dropped 4.3 percent to 2.8 billion riyals.

Mobily said introducing the fingerprint registration rule led to an “erosion” of its customer base. The requirement was introduced last year by the Communications and Information Technology Commission, who instructed all SIM cards issued in Saudi Arabia to be linked to a fingerprint record held at the National Information Center.

Mobily competes with Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and Zain Saudi Arabia in the kingdom. In September, Mobily and Zain Saudi paid the first installments (30 percent of the total amount) for the acquisition of additional spectrum in the 1800MHz band. The new spectrum will be valid for fifteen years, after it goes into effect on January 1, 2018.

Mobily paid SAR126.9 (US$33 million) for its first payment installment and Zain KSA paid SAR 253.8 million (US$68 million), before the deadline of September 11. The fees must be paid in equal installments (7 percent of the total each) over ten years, with the first installment due in 2019.

Nokia and Zain Saudi Arabia have successfully completed the Middle East's first trial of LTE-Unlicensed, combining unlicensed spectrum in the 5GHz frequency band with 1800 MHz spectrum to deliver a downlink speed of 223 megabits per second.

Following the trial, the Nokia technology will be deployed in hotspots, for example, in malls and cafes in Jeddah and around the Holy Mosque in Makkah. The project to develop the use of LTE-U in the Kingdom marks an important step for Zain to offer a superior subscriber experience using unlicensed spectrum.

“There has been exponential growth in the demand for high-speed mobile broadband services,” said Eng. Sultan Abdulaziz AlDeghaither, Chief Technology Officer, Zain Saudi Arabia. “This trial with the support of our longstanding and trusted partner, Nokia, is an important step in our commitment to adopt the latest technological solutions to provide innovative and best possible services to our subscribers. It will also give us a crucial competitive edge.”

Service providers like Zain are looking to technology innovation to serve the ever-increasing data needs of their customers. LTE-U is one such approach, combining traditional LTE with LTE in unlicensed 5 GHz spectrum to enable service providers deliver exceptional service quality without significantly increasing their spectrum expenses.

Small cells are integral to successfully utilizing unlicensed LTE, and Nokia's Flexi Zone multiband small cell technology will support Zain in significantly increasing downlink data rates for mobile devices while also enhancing mobility, security, and the reliability of 4G/LTE connections.

“The trial underlines Nokia's technological excellence and innovation, as well as its commitment to ensuring service providers can provide the best experience to their customers,” said Ali Al Jitawi, head of the Zain Saudi Arabia customer team at Nokia. “This deployment will enable Zain to enhance the in-building quality of its service without increasing expenditure.”

Nokia and Zain Saudi Arabia have taken a significant step towards the creation of an IoT ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the successful trial of NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) technology at a live site in Mina area of Makkah Province.

"This Saudi-first IoT trial in a live network again shows our strong commitment to bring new services to make people's lives more comfortable and productive,” said Eng. Sultan Abdulaziz AlDeghaither, Chief Technology Officer, Zain Saudi Arabia. “It has been a fruitful, decade-long journey with our longtime partner Nokia in transforming telecom services in Saudi Arabia, and now this successful joint trial accelerates our initiatives in building smart cities across the Kingdom including Riyadh and Jeddah."

In the trial - which used smart metering as a potential use case - NB-IoT was applied to communicate temperature, humidity and air pressure from a remote location via a Nokia LTE base station at 900 MHz, demonstrating the role NB-IoT could play in applications such as smart metering for electricity departments, smart parking and smart waste management. The trial follows the MoU signed by Nokia and Zain Saudi Arabia to collaborate on 5G and IoT development.

"This trial is the first step in utilizing Zain's country-wide LTE network assets to create a cost-efficient IoT ecosystem and introduce new services,” said Ali Al Jitawi, head of the Zain Saudi Arabia customer team at Nokia. “NB-IoT will help connect numerous devices, opening revenue opportunities in many verticals including transport, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, agriculture and home appliances."

 NB-IoT is a 3GPP Release 13 radio access technology designed to enable connectivity to IoT devices. The technology works in almost any environment, with its strong coverage capability connecting devices in hard-to-reach locations and its use of existing mobile networks allowing for the transfer of small data packets securely and reliably. In addition, with NB-IoT's very low power consumption, device battery life can last about 10 years.

In the NB-IoT trial, data was transferred using Nokia's LTE radio platform Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station and Nokia's professional services expertise, including system integration, network implementation, and care services.

Zain KSA and Nokia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in April 2016 to collaborate on a major initiative that will transform Jeddah into a model for smart cities in the country and worldwide by 2018.

Saudi Arabia’s second and third largest mobile operators, Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) and Zain Saudi Arabia have reportedly paid the first installments (30 percent of the total amount) for the acquisition of additional spectrum in the 1800MHz band. The new spectrum will be valid for fifteen years, after it goes into effect on January 1, 2018.

Mobily paid SAR126.9 (US$33 million) for its first payment installment and Zain KSA paid SAR 253.8 million (US$68 million), before the deadline of September 11. The fees must be paid in equal installments (7 percent of the total each) over ten years, with the first installment due in 2019.

According to TeleGeography, CITC, the Saudi communications and IT regulator, awarded the additional 1800MHz spectrum to Zain and Mobily in June this year, following an auction held on May 23. Zain KSA was awarded 2x10MHz in the 1800MHz band for SAR844 million and Mobily gained a 2x5MHz paired block in the 1800MHz band for SAR422 million.

Internet video calling services like WhatsApp, Skype and Viber, will be available to use in Saudi Arabia next week, after coordination between the Communications and Information Technology Commission and telecommunications service providers to allow applications that provide voice communications over the internet.

Communications and Information Technology Minister, H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, said the commitment had been confirmed by the cooperating parties to enable internet users in the kingdom to use applications to make high quality voice and video calls, under the condition that all applications are reviewed every so often.

“This fruitful cooperation between the kingdom’s telecoms partners comes under the umbrella of ‘Customer First’,” the Minister said, “a policy in which everyone works in order to give all telecom subscribers in the kingdom the best services that meet their expectations and satisfy their needs.”

Saudi Arabia has previously taken steps to improve customer service and create more transparency in the telecom sector, including the introduction of the quarterly index of complaints filed by subscribers to telecommunications providers.

More initiatives by the Commission are set to unfold in partnership with telecom providers, according to Arab News, to improve the sector and customer experience, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, a plan to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and become a more digital, customer-centric society.