Nokia, Zain KSA deliver fastest indoor 5G speeds in the Middle East

Nokia has achieved a record 5G speed of 1.9 Gbps during a successful trial of its next-generation AirScale Indoor Radio System (ASiR) at the headquarters of mobile operator, Zain KSA in Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Nokia’s dedicated indoor 5G solution delivers ultra-fast 5G speeds and also counters high penetration coverage losses.

The trial leveraged the Nokia 5G AirScale, which is an enhanced indoor solution with a centralized and scalable architecture. The trial’s high-speeds were achieved at 3.5GHz including multi-band ASiR-pRRH and with E-UTRAN New Radio – Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

Nokia’s ASiR solution supports all major network technologies and is designed to easily upgrade from 4G to 5G NR with minimal on-site disruption. It includes indoor small cells that deliver a consistent 5G user experience with high data rates across multiple floors, including open and partitioned office spaces, as well as meeting rooms. It also provides an enhanced SFN (Single Frequency Network) indoor solution addressing requirements such as low cost of ownership, small product form factor and comprehensive indoor coverage.

Zain KSA launched commercial 5G services in October 2019 in Saudi Arabia and now covers 50 cities across the kingdom enabled by more than 4,600 towers. It is through these endeavors and others that Zain KSA is considered as a major enabler, driving forward the digital transformation in Saudi, as part of Saudi Vision 2030.

Eng. Abdul Rahman AlMufadda, Zain KSA CTO, said: “In line with Zain KSA achieving a pioneering position in the regional and global telecoms map by rolling out the largest 5G network in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa and fourth largest in the world, it is imperative for us to provide first class coverage for both indoor and outdoor environments. Nokia deployed its 5G indoor solution quickly, with minimal disruption and achieved incredibly high-speeds during this trial.”

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “We are delighted to support Zain by providing 5G indoor coverage at its premises in Jeddah. Indoor coverage is an important piece in the 5G puzzle due to high penetration losses, especially in high profile venues and locations.”

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