By James Blackman
Nokia has signed a deal with telecoms operator E&, formerly Etisalat Group, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to deploy 5G private networks for enterprises in Abu Dhabi. The pair will target “various industries, including ports, oil and gas, government and critical infrastructure”, they said. Nokia will supply its macro-sized and micro-sized ‘modular private wireless’ (MPW) and ‘digital automation cloud’ (DAC) solutions, along with mobile edge computing.
The frame agreement also includes provision of push-to-talk and push-to-video capabilities, plus ‘enterprise voice core’ (EVC), all from Nokia. Etisalat UAE, the mobile division of E& in the region, will sell the private 5G solutions. A statement said: “Nokia and Etisalat UAE will be able to develop 5G-enabled use cases to support digital transformation and improve operational efficiency across multiple industries with this broad set of solutions.”
A private 5G network has been installed at the Etisalat Innovation Centre in the operator’s Abu Dhabi headquarters, using Nokia’s DAC platform. A number of smart city and Industry 4.0 cases will be hosted on the demo network.
Chief technology and information officer at Etisalat UAE, Khalid Murshed said: “We are committed to supporting the government’s vision to accelerate digital transformation of businesses so they can capture emerging opportunities. This collaboration… is in line with this vision and will provide our customers with best-in-class solutions. 5G private wireless networks will allow them to boost productivity, enhance operational efficiency, and grow revenue while improving customer experience.”
Vice president of business for Nokia in the Middle East, Rima Manna said: “[Nokia has] over 75 5G and more than 420 private wireless customers around the world… We look forward to collaborating on this initiative to provide industry-leading solutions to help enterprises across the country on their digital transformation journeys. This partnership will assist Etisalat in increasing revenue while leveraging 5G spectrum and deployment.”
