20 December 2021

Ooredoo Group, the Qatar-based telco, has engaged Finland’s Nokia to provide multiple technologies and services, including 5G, as part of a multi-country, five-year deal.

The network technology upgrade project is already under way and is expected to be completed by 2026 southeast Asia.

Under the terms of the deal, Nokia will deploy equipment from its AirScale radio access network (RAN) portfolio on sites across southeast Asia. The AirScale radio platform will provide the flexibility and capability required to deliver 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’s microwave transport supports 5G microwave growth and new spectrum such as E-band, which is likely to be employed for state-of-the-art applications and new services such as a telemedicine and real-time virtual reality, where communities and businesses can rely on privacy, security and near-instant response times.

“This renewed contract is testimony to our growing partnership with Nokia to modernise and expand our network by rolling out world-class 4G and 5G services across North

Africa and Southeast Asia,” said Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, managing director of the Ooredoo Group. “Thanks to Nokia’s advanced technology, our customers will be able to experience faster speeds and enhanced response times, as well as more bandwidth.”

Ooredoo serves consumers and businesses in Indonesia, Myanmar and the Maldives. The company, which spent much of 2020 developing 5G systems, is initially applying 5G in existing frequency bands, beginning with Qatar, where the firm is rushing to develop a next-gen infrastructure ahead of major events such as the 2022 football World Cup.