Zain Saudi Arabia has selected Nokia Siemens Networks as its LTE (4 G) mobile broadband infrastructure and services vendor for Jeddah, the country’s second largest city.

The operator aims to address the growing demand for mobile broadband and smartphone data services by refarming its 1800 MHz GSM frequency band to offer 4 G services. As part of the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will also manage Zain Saudi Arabia’s 4 G network in Jeddah, in addition to the operator’s existing GSM and 3 G networks in the city, Nokia Siemens Networks said in a statement.

Zain Saudi Arabia’s headquarters in Riyadh

“The upsurge in smartphone usage is putting a huge pressure on networks, while also increasing customers’ service expectations,” said Ahmed Al Ghanmi, deputy chief technology officer at Zain Saudi Arabia. “We share a longstanding relationship with Nokia Siemens Networks, and are well aware of the company’s sound expertise and excellent support services in mobile broadband. We are confident that this engagement will help us offer a superior 4 G experience at a fast pace.”

“Spectrum refarming is becoming a huge trend across the world, primarily since spectrum is a limited resource, and refarming offers huge cost benefits,” added Dany Choueiry, customer team head at Nokia Siemens Networks. “With this contract, we will provide leading technology and network optimisation services to Zain Saudi Arabia. This will enable the operator to maximise the benefits of the existing 1800 MHz GSM band by offering LTE services, making it move well ahead of the curve in a fiercely competitive market environment.”

Nokia Siemens Networks will provide its Single RAN (radio access network) platform, based on the compact, energy efficient Flexi Multiradio Base Station for 4 G deployment and 3 G network modernisation. Optimised backhaul will be provided by FlexiPacket Microwave platform.

As part of the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will upgrade and expand Zain’s legacy Home Location Register (HLR) to the latest One NDS subscriber data management solution, supporting a total of 25 million subscribers’ mobile services, including 4 G. This solution will allow Zain to meet market demands, cover capacity requirements and generate operational savings. Nokia Siemens Networks will also provide its NetAct platform for efficient monitoring, management and optimisation of Zain Saudi Arabia’s LTE network.