Ooredoo, Ericson announce 5-year strategic deal

Qatar’s Ooredoo Telecom Group has partnered with Swedish Ericsson in a 5-year global frame agreement to supply 5G radio, core and transport products and solutions, as well as related implementation and integration services.

The deal will extend Ericsson’s services and equipment to cover the group’s 10 operational branches found in Qatar, Indonesia, Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Tunisia, Myanmar, and Maldives.

The agreement covers Ericsson Radio System, including MINI-LINK 6000 products that are capable of 10Gbps, Ericsson Cloud Core, Cloud Infrastructure and Ericsson Cloud Communication solutions.

“This will enable end-to-end 5G support to digitally transform and modernize Ooredoo’s existing mobile networks across its operating companies. These solutions will also significantly shorten time-to-market for new services and improve Ooredoo’s network performance to meet the growing expectations of consumers and enterprises,” a joint statement by the companies said.

Ericsson Radio System is already deployed and live in several of Ooredoo’s operating companies. In Ooredoo Qatar’s network, Ericsson Radio System, using the 4G/5G Ericsson Spectrum Sharing solution, has facilitated fast nationwide 5G coverage.

In preparations for Ooredoo Qatar’s network to host multiple global sporting events, Ericsson is deploying its latest 5G midband Massive MIMO radios to create a unique digital experience for millions of sports fans in stadiums, at home, or on-the-go.

“The agreement represents another step in the longstanding and successful partnership between Ericsson and Ooredoo, which enables our company to continue network expansion, enhancement and digital transformation,” Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Group said.

Al Thani highlighted that Ericsson is bringing state-of-the-art global technologies to countries where Ooredoo operates, which enables them to provide the latest digital solutions for communities to enjoy the best of the Internet, including connecting the most remote areas, supporting startups digitally, and providing immersive experiences for sports fans at upcoming mega-sporting events

“5G as a platform for innovation will speed up Ooredoo’s journey towards digital transformation. It will fuel new use cases that cater to evolving consumer and enterprise demands. It is with great pride that we strengthen our collaboration as we continue supporting Ooredoo’s ambition of delivering high-performing networks and superior user experience,” Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks at Ericsson, said in the statement.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will provide hardware and software expansions of the core network, radio network and transmission network, as well as enhanced mobile multimedia functionality for new service offerings.