Nokia will assist Zain KSA to rollout 60,000 FastMile 5G Gateway 3.1 with eSIM across Saudi Arabia over the next 12 months.
The gateways will deliver stronger signal, better connectivity and ultra-high data speeds to every corner of homes and offices. The 5G fixed wireless access strategy of Zain KSA is aimed to support smart home and office adoption with enhanced connectivity for smart devices through 5G and Wi-Fi 6.
Finland–based Nokia said its FastMile 5G gateways take advantage of the company’s self-optimizing mesh Wi-Fi 6 solution for real time Wi-Fi performance optimization. The gateways ensure quicker and easier account setup by using the latest eSIM technology that allows users to avoid the process of acquiring and installing a physical SIM card.
This deployment is the first time eSIM has been used in a 5G fixed wireless access solution, Nokia said.
AbdulRahman bin Hamad AlMufadda, chief technology officer at Zain KSA, said: “Rolling out our new 5G fixed wireless access routers comes in line with our digital transformation and 5G expansion strategy reiterating our role in serving the Kingdom’s society.”
Zain KSA, one of the world’s pioneering 5G network operators, ranked as the largest 5G rollout out in Saudi, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and fourth globally.
Zain in June 2019 announced a 3-year deal with Nokia to rollout 5G to thousands of sites using Nokia’s portfolio, introducing 5G using 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz along with massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO). The deal also introduced E-Band microwave in certain areas to allow for ultra-high-capacity backhaul networks.
