Nokia and du deploy commercial 5G SA Cloud RAN solution in the Middle East and Africa

December 06, 2024 10:41 AM

Nokia and du, a leading telecom and digital services provider, have successfully deployed the first commercial 5G Cloud RAN solution in the Middle East and Africa.

This landmark development highlights du’s technological leadership and its commitment to the UAE’s ambitious digital transformation goals.

The deployment, based in Abu Dhabi, utilises Nokia’s flexible anyRAN approach, which enables operators to leverage both cloud-native and purpose-built infrastructures.

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This hybrid RAN strategy ensures scalability and flexibility while supporting advanced use cases in AI, machine learning, and industry-specific applications across manufacturing, energy, and logistics sectors.

The 5G Cloud RAN solution features Nokia’s virtualised Distributed Units (vDU) and Centralised Units (vCU) running on Dell PowerEdge XR8620 servers and Red Hat OpenShift, a leading hybrid cloud application platform.

Additionally, Nokia’s AirScale Massive MIMO Radios operating in the 3.6 GHz (n78) spectrum frequency provide robust performance using 5G Standalone architecture.

Saleem Alblooshi, chief technology officer at du said: “Our collaboration with Nokia represents a major leap forward in du’s mission to deliver exceptional network performance and innovative services.

“Leveraging 5G Cloud RAN will not only enhance our network's efficiency and flexibility but also enable us to explore new opportunities and services that can deliver genuine value to our customers and society at large.”

Nokia’s anyRAN approach offers operators the ability to co-exist with purpose-built networks in hybrid environments, ensuring seamless evolution to full cloud-native networks.

This flexibility allows service providers like du to quickly scale their 5G network footprints and introduce new services efficiently.

Mark Atkinson, head of RAN at Nokia added: “This strategic partnership with du is much more than an infrastructure deployment.

Both companies say they are committed to driving innovation by developing pioneering use cases that leverage the transformative power of AI and private wireless networks.

“This collaboration will enable the development of innovative services that empower businesses and individuals alike.”

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