Zain Kuwait's 5G traffic currently accounts for more than 40% of its total wireless traffic, ranking the operator as number one in GCC countries in terms of 5G offload ratio. Zain Kuwait is one of the leading telecom operators in MENA and has been at the forefront of innovation for years as the first operator to launch commercial 5G services in the Middle East.
From the 5G service development and business achievements of Zain Kuwait, it is clear that the focus on 5G development brings business success to operators. Zain Kuwait started deployment of 5G networks in 2018. After two years of continuous development, 5G services have entered a period of high growth. Users are continuing to develop rapidly, and the proportion of 5G traffic has also been increasing continuously. This has resulted in positive revenue and profit growth for the operator.
Zain Kuwait has achieved the 5G subscriber penetration ratio of 23%, and the average DOU of its 5G subscribers is five times higher than that of its 4G subscribers. Zain Kuwait's mobile network also recorded revenue and profit growth of 4% and 13% year-over-year in Q2 2021. This is an outstanding achievement especially when there is no population dividend and the expatriate population in country has been continuously decreasing. Zain's 5G development leads the Kuwait telecom market, and its business success has been a result of its overall strategic objective to provide first-class 5G services for users in Kuwait.
Zain Kuwait has firmly invested in 5G for the fastest network construction with the widest coverage, building a foundation for user experience
Network coverage is the basis for user experience. Zain started 5G C-band construction in 2018. In Q3 2019, it completed coverage of major urban areas. By early 2020, it achieved 1:1 construction ratio with its LTE network.
Focusing on fast and value-based network construction, Zain Kuwait was able to quickly exploit the benefits of enhanced 5G network coverage. Leading the network construction lays the foundation for creating 5G business advantages. For instance, Zain was the first operator to commercialize 5G networks in Kuwait. In the commercial release phase, Zain provided the most extensive 5G coverage and best services owing to its focus on network construction. Within six months of the commercial launch, Zain reached 100% coverage, forming the first-mover advantage of 5G networks for itself.
User experience is the key In leading 5G experience targets to drive network experience leadership
With the goal of providing a first-class 5G network experience, Zain insists on higher standards of 5G network construction to ensure high-speed and reliable services for all the users. As a result, the investment in network planning and network construction was increased, which enabled Zain Kuwait to win Ookla's Fastest Fixed Wireless Network Provider Award in 2020 and to lead the Open signal Global Experience Test reports as well. A great network experience enhanced Zain’s brand and helped it achieve greater commercial competitiveness.