MANAMA: Zain Bahrain will launch its 5G service by the year-end, having selected Ericsson to deploy its radio network in the kingdom.
An agreement between the two companies was signed last week in the presence of Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal Ahmed by Zain Bahrain chairman Shaikh Ahmed bin Ali Al Khalifa and Ericsson chief executive Borje Ekholm.
The deal sets the terms for upgrading of Zain Bahrain’s network from 4G LTE to 5G using hardware and software from Ericsson that’s compatible with 5G NR (New Radio), the global standard for the air interface of 5G networks as set by 3GPP, an organisation which develops protocols for mobile telephony.
Zain will be the third operator in the country to offer 5G services after Batelco and VIVA launched their networks in June.
Commenting during the event at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, Mr Ahmed said, “As one of the first countries globally to provide 5G to consumers, we are pleased to see Zain Bahrain adopting the latest technologies which in turn reflects on the kingdom’s drive for innovation and reinforces its position as a regional leader in telecommunications and ICT.”
According to experts, 5G mobile networks can deliver speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) – a hundred times faster than current 4G technology.
Expressing excitement at the deployment of 5G, Shaikh Ahmed said, “The new strategic partnership will empower Zain Bahrain to provide its customers with solutions and services that are at the forefront of our digital future.”
Fifth generation (5G) is the latest wireless network technology, every new generation of which has primarily been defined by increased data transmission speeds.
“The second generation (2G) allowed voice transmission; 3G opened the door to mobile data and rich content and LTE brought a speed boost that ushered in the app and mobile-streaming revolution,” said the chairman of Zain Bahrain.
“5G is expected to be the connectivity infrastructure that will foster industrial and societal transformation, with a network that can be used for all sorts of different and personalised uses.”
He said it could unlock the full capabilities of the latest technology trends and become an innovation platform for Zain Bahrain to provide specialised services to a series of new industry partners, ranging from automobiles, to health and even energy.
“This partnership also contributes to Vision 2030. As 5G becomes mainstream, we are dedicated to transforming industries and enhancing people’s digital lives and explore new use cases and capture new revenue streams by addressing industry digitalisation,” added Shaikh Ahmed.
Zain Bahrain is promising an advanced 5G network delivering “very high data speed, extreme low latency, ultra-high reliability, energy efficiency and extreme device densities, which will be realised by the development of LTE in combination with Ericsson new radio-access technologies”.
The event saw the demo of the 5G data session on Zain Bahrain’s network to showcase 360 degrees streaming capabilities with 4K definition.
Also present was Ericsson Middle East and Africa president Fadi Pharaon, who said the digitalisation of industries as accelerated by 5G will present new opportunities and enable service providers to launch advanced technologies while improving the end-user experience.
“Deploying the 5G-ready radio access and core network infrastructure marks a new chapter of collaboration between Ericsson and Zain Bahrain,” he added.
As Zain moves towards launching commercial 5G services using both fixed and mobile access, the transformation will make the operator more agile with improved operational efficiency and enhanced network capabilities, said the official.
Customers can expect greater speed, low latency and the ability to get more data into and through the network, to unlock the full capabilities of virtual and augmented reality and the Internet of things (IoT).
avinash@gdn.com.bh
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