Arab telco has finalized LTE-A Pro tests in Kuwait
BARCELONA, Spain – Kuwait-based telecom operator Zain expects to carry out tests of LTE-Advanced Pro technology, also referred to as “4.5G” technology by some vendors, across its regional footprint, the group’s CEO Scott Gegenheimer told RCR Wireless News. 3GPP last October affixed the LTE-Advanced Pro label to technology advances associated with 4.5G technology.
The executive confirmed the tests will be carried out in partnership with vendors Huawei and Ericsson, and that the carrier and Huawei had successfully trialled the technology in Kuwait.
“The test saw the network reaching high speeds of 1 [gigabit per second], and we expect this latest technology to spearhead the next phase of the mobile evolution by enabling our residential, government and corporate customers to enjoy increasingly faster connected and intelligent services,” Gegenheimer said.
Huawei previously said the introduction of 4.5G technology will allow mobile operators to improve the user experience and support the increase of machine-to-machine communications, the “Internet of Things” and new mobile Internet applications, such as virtual-reality glasses and drone technology.
“We are seeing that operators across all regions are interested in the deployment of 4.5G solutions,” said Quiu Heng, president of Huawei’s wireless network marketing operation. “We have already started negotiations with some mobile operators for the commercial deployments of 4.5G technology. We believe that this technology will explode in 2016 and that the commercialization of 4.5G will be global.”
Huawei said it expects a total of 60 commercial network deployments by the end of the year.
At the end of last year Zain had 2.9 million subscribers in Kuwait, which accounted for approximately 28.3% of the operator’s global business in 2015. The company operates networks in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Jordan and Bahrain. Zain said it currently offers LTE in its Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan operations as well as in Lebanon through the operation it manages on behalf of the Lebanese government. In Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, Zain also offers LTE-Advanced services.
