Huawei, a global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, and Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the leading national provider of telecommunications services in Saudi Arabia, have jointly announced the launch of the LTE TDD service in Saudi Arabia.

Covering two major regions within the kingdom, including the cities of Riyadh and Dammam, the new network is capable of downlink speeds of up to 100 Mb/s, allowing STC customers to enjoy a variety of data services at unprecedented speeds.

SingleRAN LTE solution
Huawei provided its end-to-end SingleRAN LTE solution for STC. This solution is comprised of Huawei’s radio access network SingleRAN solution, its convergent core network SingleEPC solution, E398 LTE TDD/FDD dual-mode commercial USB dongle and E392 LTE TDD/FDD/GSM/UMTS/CDMA multi-mode USB dongle.

STC will provide the LTE service for consumers across Saudi Arabia using its expertise as the largest mobile operator in the Middle East.

Big rise in network speed
Since 1996, STC’s commitment to providing subscribers with faster connection speeds and better service has resulted in a 50-fold increase in the speed of STC’s networks. This commitment, which has included the adoption of many of the telecom industry’s leading technologies as well as the deployment of a GSM/UMTS/HSPA+ network, has enabled STC to stay ahead in Saudi Arabia’s increasingly competitive telecom market.

Dr Zeyad Thamer Al Otaibi, group CTO of Saudi Telecom Company, said, “STC is pleased to have Huawei as a partner in this important launch of LTE TDD services in Saudi Arabia. STC continually works to ensure that our subscribers have access to the fastest connection speeds possible, and together with Huawei and its end-to-end SingleRAN LTE solution, we can do just that while also maintaining our impeccable service record.”