By Telecom Lead Team: Mobile service
provider Saudi Telecom Company has selected wireless equipment major Ericsson
to deploy LTE network in Saudi Arabia.
Ericsson network will enable STC to
provide customers with an enhanced experience, enabling true high-speed
internet, rich multimedia applications such as HD video streaming and chatting,
cloud services and conferencing and high definition applications.
Middle East is a major market for
Ericsson that posted 17 percent increase in group sales at SEK 55.5 billion in
Q3 2011 as compared with SEK 47.5 billion in Q3 2011. Middle East sales
increased 34 percent year-over-year.
Recently, Stanton Chase said that
the growth potential of 3G in the majority of the Middle East markets remains
significant as consumers demand ubiquitous access and high bandwidth to handle
a growing array of services. Competition among telecom operators is expected,
therefore, to intensify during 2011-2012 in value added services, including 3G.
STC customers will enjoy an
unparalleled mobile-broadband experience providing ultra high data speeds
across the Kingdom.
The ICT market in Saudi Arabia has
witnessed tremendous growth in the last few years and the Saudi consumer in
specific was and is still eager to have the latest and fastest
technology. Together with Ericsson, we will introduce the most advanced
telecom innovation in Saudi Arabia, 4G/LTE, enabling Saudi consumers to benefit
from this technology in all aspects of their lives from business, education,
health and many others,” said Zeyad Al Etaibi, group CTO, Saudi Telecom
Company.
We have chosen Ericsson as main
partner for the deployment of our LTE network in the 2 biggest cities to
leverage on the company’s global and local competence, as well as the
leadership that Ericsson has in the LTE space,” said Eng. Bandar Al-Qafari,
vice president for network sector, STC.
Recently, Kuwaiti telecoms operator
Zain signed a $650 million deal to outsource the network of its Iraq unit
to telecom equipment provider Ericsson.
Zain signs Ericsson to outsource Iraq
mobile network in $650 million deal
Under the five-year deal, Ericsson
will manage Zain Iraq’s mobile network and IT operations and is the next step
towards the operator launching third generation services.
The agreement covers Zain Iraq’s
3,700 network sites, including the Kurdish north where the operator recently
launched commercial services, and will enable it to reduce operating costs and
bring products and services to market quicker. Zain owns a 72 percent stake in
Zain Iraq, which has 12.4 million active subscribers.
