Zain, Etisalat, stc, Mobily, du alliance to promote open radio access network tech

Open RAN solutions

Zain Group, Etisalat Group, stc, Mobily and du announced the formation of an alliance to cooperate in accelerating implementation of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) solutions.

The Middle Eastern telecom operators will come together, share their expertise, and set a clear path to drive innovation in the information technology and telecommunications sector in the region, according to a statement from the alliance.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the five operators was signed to deploy Open RAN solutions in their existing telecom networks through their markets.

The aim is to be able to work with traditional vendor partners rather than replace them to build more agile and flexible mobile networks for 5G and 4G, as well as support new entrants with innovative solutions and achieve cost efficiencies in RAN deployments.

This partnership will open immense opportunities for operators and the telecom ecosystem with the availability of interoperable, competitive and commercial grade Open RAN products, building a framework to exchange best practices and technical outcomes, the statement added.

On the other hand, clients will gain advantage with service catering to the local market requirements with faster time while using the most advanced mobile access networks. With operators focusing on introducing software capabilities in the Open RAN environment, it will bring technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the forefront.

The introduction of Open RAN, virtualization and automation will enable a fundamental change in the way operators manage networks and deliver services. Operators will be able to add or shift capacity more quickly for end-users, automatically resolve network incidents or provide enterprise level services on-demand for industry.