Page 84 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2023

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Ooredoo Qatar, Nokia Trial 5G SA Data Service, Enable VoNR-Capable

Devices

IoT device connectivity, VR and Augmented
Reality (AR), demanding faster throughput
and lower latency, and will also open up the
core network with open APIs (Application
Programming Interfaces) where third par-
ties can co-create new services with cus-
tomers and partners. Time to market for
the launch of new services will be reduced,
and 5G SA will also enable private secured
virtual networks for enterprise customers,
opening up additional revenue streams for
Ooredoo via network slicing to ensure dif-
ferentiated enterprise services. Following
the ‘national first’ enabling of VoNR devic-
es, supported by Nokia 5G SA Core technol-
ogy, Ooredoo’s customers will subsequent-
ly be able to make and receive ‘supreme
quality’ voice and video calls over a ‘pure
dedicated’ 5G SA network, the cellco de-
Ooredoo Qatar and technology partner New Radio (VoNR)-capable 5G devices. clared. Nokia’s solution enables faster call
Nokia have announced the Qatari opera- The eventual commercialization of 5G SA setup, faster simultaneous data services
tor’s first data call in 5G Standalone (SA) will enable Ooredoo to partner enterprises and enhanced network reliability compared
mode as part of ongoing 5G SA services and developers to deliver new use cases to Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
trials, alongside the enabling of Voice over in domains such as Industry 4.0, massive

Open RAN Backed for Major Role at Dawn of 6G

VP of semiconductor company Analog with most standards solidified with the initial budget of €100 million. At the site it
Devices Joe Barry touted 6G as using expectation of greater scale leading up to works with industrial partners on various
open RAN from day one during an it being everywhere at the start of the 6G technologies including use of sensors for
interview with Mobile World Live, as the era. Sensing an opportunity Analog Devices smart industrial applications. Barry noted
company showcased work taking place was earlier this month announced as one he expected early adopters of cutting-edge
with partners at its Republic of Ireland of the companies involved in projects set intelligent industrial systems at so-called
research Centre. Barry, VP of marketing, to receive a total of €8.1 billion in funding dark factories where there were practically
systems and technology for Analog from European Union member states, only machines working on the floors. He
Devices’ communications business unit, as the region’s authorities press on with added private networks, 5G and low latency
believes everything will be open RAN at attempts to boost local manufacturing could serve a whole range of business
the point where 6G is deployed, noting the and R&D. It has also pumped cash into its needs, many of which are being tested and
architecture was actually ahead of where he R&D in the region, with its ADI Catalyst in developed with partners at its facility.
expected. “If you ignore the hype that was the Republic of Ireland, which carried an
there in the early days we’re now starting to
get into the real practical deployment of it.”
“There was a lot of hype it would get to a
majority proportion [of the overall market]
in a few years. It’s not going to be that fast,
it’s going to be slow, steady and obviously
we see operators doing greenfield able
to deploy very quickly, but brownfield is
going to take a little longer.” Barry noted
open RAN, which Analog Devices is a
prominent backer of, is “starting to mature”,

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