Ericsson said the new agreement includes cloud-native 5G Core and 5G Standalone (SA) solutions
Middle East carrier Batelco and Ericsson have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on next-generation 5G technologies, the latter said in a release.
The deal is part of Batelco’s efforts to support development programs for new use cases that highlight the potential of 5G for consumers and enterprises in Bahrain.
The MoU will cover collaboration on Voice over New Radio (NR) and advanced charging system that will enhance Batelco’s real-time convergent charging as well as enable the introduction of new smart and innovative Internet of Things (IoT) products. It will also include cloud-native 5G Core and 5G Standalone (SA) solutions that helped Batelco and Ericsson successfully complete the first 5G SA data call in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
NB-IoT will also be a key area of focus for Batelco and Ericsson as they enable extended coverage and longer battery lives for ultra-low complexity devices. Batelco’s and Ericsson’s exploration of NB-IoT will enable smart city use cases including smart metering, air quality monitoring, and building management.
Mikkel Vinter, CEO of Batelco, said: “5G in Bahrain is at the cusp of unlocking a wide-range of opportunities in line with Bahrain’s digital economy goals. In addition to the strong coverage that 5G from Ericsson provides, this MoU aims to explore ways to implement 5G technologies and reap the advanced benefits for different industries in Bahrain, through providing examples of innovative use cases. By providing technical support to major industries in the Kingdom, we look forward to contributing to the further prosperity of these industries.”
Through this collaboration, Batelco aims to strengthen its enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) capabilities and meet the rapid growth in data traffic that comes with automation and emerging Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) applications in the country.
Wojciech Bajda, VP and head of Gulf Council countries at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: “We look forward to working with Batelco and exploring 5G technologies that can unlock various growth opportunities for digital development. We are certain our collaboration will support Batelco in discovering new business models and in creating new and innovative offerings in the Kingdom.”
The Swedish vendor had partnered with Batelco for deployment of a commercial non-standalone 5G network across Bahrain in 2019.
Ericsson currently has 172 commercial 5G agreements globally. This figure includes 89 publicly announced 5G deals and 121 live 5G networks.
Some key customers include AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile US, US Cellular, Verizon, Bell Canada, Telus, Rogers, Swisscom, TDC, Telenor, Vodafone UK, Wind , Deutsche Telkom, O2 UK, Etisalat, Optus, Ooredoo, Orange France, Vodafone UK, STC, KT, SK Telecom and Telstra.
