The Swedish equipment manufacturer will supply 5G radio, core and transport products and solutions to Ooredoo in Qatar (pictured), Indonesia, Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Tunisia, Myanmar and Maldives. The deal includes Ericsson Radio System, Ericsson Cloud Core, Cloud Infrastructure and Ericsson Cloud Communication solutions, as well as support and maintenance services.
Ericsson said 5G will accelerate Ooredoo’s journey toward digital transformation and that its products and solutions "will help Ooredoo launch new functionalities with faster time-to-market".
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani, deputy group CEO of Ooredoo Group, said: “The agreement represents another step in the longstanding and successful partnership between Ericsson and Ooredoo, which enables our company to continue network expansion, enhancement and digital transformation.
"Ericsson is bringing state-of-the-art global technologies to the countries we operate in, which enables us to provide the latest digital solutions for communities to enjoy the best of the internet, including connecting the most remote areas, supporting start-ups digitally and providing immersive experiences for sports fans at upcoming mega-sporting events," Al Thani added.
Ericsson, which last year acquired Cradlepoint, has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 28.9% compared with the 13.8% averaged across the industry. NASDAQ said its stock has gained 35.1% compared with the industry’s growth of 38.3% in the past year and the firm currently has 77 live 5G networks in 40 countries and 122 commercial 5G agreements with service providers.
However, things are a little different in its native Sweden. According to reports this week, CEO Börje Ekholm "lobbied" ministers to reverse their ban on Huawei's 5G equipment ahead of the country's own 5G auction, now scheduled for 18 January.
