Ericsson will provide advanced private 4G and 5G networks to enhance connectivity for government and enterprise customers
Swedish vendor Ericsson and Emirati telco du had announced strategic partnership under which Ericsson will provide its private 5G networks with the aim of enabling smart services to the government and enterprise sectors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Under this partnership, announced during MWC 2024, held in Barcelona this week, Ericsson and du will join forces to create advanced private 4G and 5G networks to enhance connectivity for government and enterprise customers in the Arab country.
Jasim Al Awadi, chief ICT officer at du, said: “Our latest partnership with Ericsson is a significant step in elevating our Information and Communications Technology and enterprises offerings, in accordance with the UAE vision of nurturing a forward-looking, technology-driven economy. Ericsson’s private cellular solutions will play a critical role in strengthening our strategy, equipping us to respond to the needs of our government and enterprise customers.”
“Ericsson Private 5G will enable du to provide secure, agile and superior connectivity to their enterprise customers and build on the adoption of Industry 4.0. In our steadfast commitment to advancing digitalization and next-generation connectivity, we remain committed to fostering a digitally transformed landscape, and unlocking new opportunities for customers across various industries,” said Nicolas Blixell, vice president and head of Ericsson Gulf Council Countries at Ericsson Middle East and Africa.
In January, Nokia announced that it has been selected by du to modernize its circuit-switched core network. As part of the project, Nokia said it will expand and modernize the telco’s existing IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) voice core network in order to extend Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) services.
Once fully deployed, the project will enhance voice quality and enable du’s customers to access new advanced services. The modernization of du’s existing infrastructure will ensure a smooth transition to Voice over New Radio (VoNR) services, the vendor said.
The Finnish vendor also reported that the deployment will also allow du to provide customers with improved fixed voice services.
Nokia and du had recently announced the conclusion of what they claimed to be UAE’s first 5G-Advanced 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) trial over a commercial network.
The partners said that this recent trial showcased the readiness of du’s 5G network for innovative use cases in areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables and Industry 4.0 to address 5G monetization challenges.
Also in January, du has partnered with satellite operator Intelsat, with the aim of expanding cellular connectivity across the Arab country. Through the collaboration with Intelsat, du said that it will be able to provide mobile coverage in areas that were previously out of reach.
