Page 29 - SAMENA Trends - October 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Zain Kuwait and Huawei Sign 5G Advancement MoU

Huawei has signed a memorandum of infrastructure to better empower the footprint by implementing energy saving
understanding (MoU) with Zain Kuwait digital transformation plans of many vital solutions, improving network energy
its global partner to ‘advance its 5G sectors and industries that Zain serves in efficiency, building a green 5G network,
infrastructure’ aiming to achieve the best the nation.’ Al-Roudhan continued: ‘This and supporting green solutions for
possible user experience and enhance MoU not only focuses on operational and telecom operations within the private and
network quality. Zain Kuwait CEO Eaman technical advancements, but also extends public sectors.’ TeleGeography notes that
Al-Roudhan commented: ‘Today we to making sure we achieve sustainable Zain Kuwait’s 5G network – launched in
expand our strategic partnerships growth, something that we believe in mid-2019 – currently covers 93% of the
in technology to affirm our utmost very strongly. Together we will explore country’s population, providing mobile and
commitment in offering the most advanced how we can reduce our environmental fixed-wireless broadband services.
services to our customers. Zain always
aspires to offer world-class solutions
that live up to our customers’ needs, both
consumers and businesses. Through
this agreement, we explore implementing
many technological innovations, including
those that are related to 5G solutions, to
enhance network coverage, capacity, and
to improve 5G consumer experience, fixed
wireless access (FWA) user experience,
and accelerate creating the development
of 5G Standalone (SA) network. The MoU
also explores upgrading our 5G network’s

AT&T Books Improved Wireless Revenue, Base

AT&T’s wireless service revenue increased progress as “our best post-paid phone net we’ll continue to execute that. That’s got
4.6 per cent year-on-year to $14.5 billion additions quarter in more than ten years”. room to run for several quarters.” Across
in Q3, as company executives pointed to During the company’s earnings call, AT&T the whole company, AT&T Q3 revenue
growth in contract subscribers and the Communications CEO Jeffery McElfresh was down 5.7 per cent to $39.9 billion
potential to upsell to higher-value plans added there remained a “large opportunity” on divestment of various businesses and
moving forward. The operator’s wireless to upsell mobile users to higher-value separation of its video unit earlier this year.
division recorded net additions of 928,000 and unlimited tariffs. “We still have large It also noted a decline in fixed enterprise
post-paid subscribers in Q3 taking its portions of our subscriber base that we earnings. Net income was $5.9 billion, up
base to 66.4 million. In the equivalent have not migrated into those rate plans.” from $2.8 billion, largely attributed to lower
quarter of 2020 it added 645,000 to its “We’re letting the customers choose when operating expenses and higher operating
post-paid base, which then stood at 63.5 it’s time for them to take advantage of an income.
million. AT&T CEO John Stankey hailed the offer or to move into a new rate plan, and

AT&T Selects Ericsson for C-band 5G Expansion

AT&T and Ericsson have announced a five- its Ericsson Radio System portfolio, which 3.7GHz-3.98GHz range. Bidding via AT&T
year agreement to accelerate the expan- includes the Advanced Antenna System, Spectrum Frontiers, the telco committed
sion of the cellco’s 5G network. Ericsson Advanced RAN Coordination and Carrier to pay USD23.407 billion for 1,621 conces-
notes that the deal will support the rollout Aggregation (CA) technologies. TeleGeog- sions. Previously, in March this year AT&T
of AT&T’s recently acquired C-band spec- raphy notes that AT&T was one of the most handed rival vendor Nokia a five-year deal
trum and the launch of Standalone (SA) prominent bidders in Auction 107, which to deploy its C-band 5G network in select-
5G architecture. The vendor will deploy saw the sale of C-band frequencies in the ed parts of the US.

29 OCTOBER 2021