Zain Kuwait will utilize Rakuten Symphony’s O-RAN and cloud portfolio to deliver 5G Standalone sites
In sum – what you need to know:
Open RAN debut – Zain Kuwait and Rakuten Symphony signed an MoU to pilot the country’s first cloud-native O-RAN deployment, using Rakuten’s virtualized DU/CU software and cloud-native platform for 5G Standalone sites.
Scalable roadmap – The pilot is intended as a precursor to broader commercial O-RAN rollouts across Kuwait and the wider Zain Group, which operates in eight MENA countries.
Cloud-native infrastructure – Zain Kuwait will provide the physical network assets and 5G SA core, while Rakuten Symphony delivers software and integration expertise, aiming to boost flexibility, scalability and operational efficiency.
Rakuten Symphony and Zain Kuwait have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the companies collaborate on a pilot project to establish a functional cloud-native Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) in the country. Zain Kuwait will utilize Rakuten Symphony’s O-RAN and cloud portfolio to deliver 5G Standalone (5G SA) sites as part of a project that will represent Kuwait’s first Open RAN deployment.
The project will be the initial phase for planned large scale commercial deployment of O-RAN in Kuwait and across the Zain Group, which operates in eight countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
As part of the project, Rakuten Symphony will supply its innovative O-RAN virtualized distributed unit and centralized unit software, along with cloud-native virtualized software, as well as ensuring that its O-RAN solution is fully functional and capable of handling commercial traffic. As part of the deal, Zain Kuwait will allocate the required cell sites as well as providing data center infrastructure and 5G SA core with related transport connectivity.
Sharad Sriwastawa, president of Rakuten Symphony, said: “Rakuten Symphony is pleased to support Zain Kuwait in delivering the country’s first O-RAN deployment. By venturing into networks driven by cloud-native, open principles and leveraging Rakuten Symphony’s portfolio, Zain Kuwait has the potential to realize the benefits of increased operational flexibility and reduced time to market, in turn delivering better performance for customers.”
Daaij Al-Oud, chief technical officer at Zain Kuwait, said: “This collaboration with Rakuten Symphony marks a significant step in our journey to transform Kuwait’s telecom infrastructure. By piloting the country’s first cloud-native O-RAN deployment, we aim to unlock new levels of network agility, efficiency and scalability. This initiative is not just a technological milestone for Zain Kuwait, but a strategic move that aligns with our broader vision of leading digital innovation across the region.”
Rakuten Mobile, in collaboration with Rakuten Symphony, will apply the achievements obtained from the “Research and Development Project of the Enhanced Infrastructures for Post-5G Information and Communication Systems”, subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
In February, Zain Kuwait and Parallel Wireless had completed a 5G Standalone proof of concept (PoC) focused on Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology. The test recorded download speeds of over 1.3 Gbps.
Parallel Wireless used its GreenRAN platform during the trial. By integrating AMD EPYC processors, the setup achieved more than 35% energy savings compared to conventional systems, highlighting the potential of general-purpose hardware to improve energy efficiency, Parallel Wireless had said.
The test also confirmed compatibility with both SUSE and AWS Kubernetes platforms, demonstrating the system’s flexibility in different deployment environments. In addition, the PoC verified central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) separation based on O-RAN Split Option 2, which can support more scalable and efficient network operations.
“Saving more than 35% of power consumption supports Zain’s sustainability strategy and contributes towards our net-zero goal by 2050” said Daaij Al-Oud. “By reaching over 1.3 Gbps in download speeds for 5G SA, Zain achieves yet another impressive milestone that reaffirms its leadership position in the Kuwaiti market. We are excited about the potential of Open RAN to transform the future of 5G networks.”
