5G Breakthrough: Nokia, Zain KSA Launch Saudi Arabia’s 1st Live Cloud RAN Site
Nokia and Zain KSA on Tuesday announced they successfully completed the first live Cloud RAN site in Saudi Arabia, a major stride that establishes the Kingdom as a leader in 5G innovation.
In a press release, Nokia and Zain KSA said that the trial, running from December 24, 2024 to January 26, 2025, utilizes Nokia’s 5G anyRAN (Cloud RAN) solution. The site managed to deliver peak download speeds of 1.5 Gbps with Zain KSA’s 5G core network.
Cloud RAN Benefits
In the light of this, the live Cloud RAN site showcases the cloud-native architectures’ ability to enhance efficiency, reduce total cost of ownership, and accelerate time to market, all of which are essential for Communications Service Providers (CSPs) and enterprise customers seeking network evolution.
Saudi Arabia’s investments in cutting-edge technologies align with its national digital transformation goals under Vision 2030.
The successful trial of Cloud RAN creates an adaptable platform that can easily integrate solutions from various providers, promoting a multi-vendor ecosystem to meet fast-evolving customer needs.
Moreover, it facilitates innovative enterprise and private-wireless applications, driving rapid digital transformation across various industry sectors.
Successful Collaboration
On this occasion, the Chief Technology Officer at Zain KSA, Mohammed AlNujaidi, said: “At Zain KSA, we strive to deliver transformative digital experiences that empower our customers to thrive in a fast-evolving market.”
He also praised the collaboration with Nokia. “Partnering with Nokia on the Kingdom’s first live Cloud RAN site allows us to explore new service models, reduce ongoing network costs, and respond more quickly to our enterprise and individual consumer demands. The increased network agility will support a wide array of new use cases, underscoring our role in driving Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation,” he noted.
Additionally, the Customer Team Head for Zain Group and Zain KSA at Nokia mobile networks, Mohammad AlTayeh, explained the significance of this milestone. “This successful deployment of the Kingdom’s first live Cloud RAN site is a testament to Nokia’s dedication to delivering next-generation networking solutions,” he said.
AlTayeh added: “By introducing a fully cloud-native approach, we not only match the performance of purpose-built RAN but also create a future-ready platform that supports AI-RAN, Open RAN, and even potential 6G innovations. Our collaboration with Zain KSA showcases how cloudification can optimize resources, reduce total cost of ownership, and pave the way for new growth opportunities across multiple sectors in the Kingdom.”
