Saudi Arabia - Rakuten Symphony and Zain KSA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in building next-generation telecommunications networks based on open standards and network infrastructure.
Rakuten Symphony assists telcos worldwide with the deployment of fully cloud-native network services based on open standards and advanced automation and orchestration, enabling companies to easily build secure and open mobile networks at high speed and low cost.
The signing of the MoU was announced at MWC23, held in Barcelona from February 27 till March 2.
Open technology
Under the terms of the MoU, Rakuten Symphony and Zain KSA will collaborate to accelerate the delivery of mobile network services through the use of open technology that will facilitate and revolutionise wireless infrastructure, with the potential to deliver cost-effective solutions in a quick and efficient manner.
Rakuten will work with Zain KSA on a blueprint for a cloud-native, fully virtualised, new-generation radio access solution architecture, which will be Open RAN 4G and 5G-based with advanced automation capabilities.
Zain KSA Chief Technology Officer, Eng Abdulrahman Al-Mufadda, said: “We will work closely with Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony to drive innovation and deliver top-class services that meet and anticipate the ever-growing demand for reliable, secure, and ultramodern network experiences from our individual and enterprise customers.
“This collaboration will leverage and maximise the strengths of Zain KSA and Rakuten to accelerate innovation and drive the Saudi ICT sector toward achieving Saudi Vision 2030’s goals to transform the kingdom into a digital hub that fosters a digital economy and hyper-connected society.”
Next-gen network
“We are very excited to collaborate with Zain KSA and share our expertise in building next-generation telecommunication networks,” said Tareq Amin, CEO of Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony. “We believe that Rakuten Symphony’s network automation and orchestration solutions for cost-effective network transformation and timely deployment of next-generation network services will help Zain KSA deliver a superior experience to their customers.”
The signing of this MoU is in alignment with Zain KSA’s digital-first strategy and its goal of accelerating the inclusive digital transformation of Saudi Arabia while driving business growth and scaling up user experiences through a wide range of applications across sectors.