Doha

Ooredoo has announced that it will partner with Nokia Networks to deploy small cells in popular network hotspots across the country as part of the company’s thrust to enhance its state-of-the-art “Supernet” to deliver the best voice and Internet experience.

Nokia Networks’ high-capacity small cells will enhance Ooredoo’s 3G and 4G network for a better customer experience with Nokia Flexi Zone small cells complementing Ooredoo’s existing network, enabling Ooredoo to provide advanced voice and data services to its customers even in the most crowded indoor and outdoor areas.

Ooredoo’s ongoing network investment is part of its efforts to make Qatar as “one of the best-connected countries in the world.” The operator recently announced a nationwide network upgrade programme called Ooredoo Supernet, “one of the most significant network evolutions in Qatar’s history,” and is strongly-focused on providing the most advanced network services, including ultrafast 4G+ for all its customers.

The partnership agreement follows a successful trial using Nokia Networks’ LTE and 3G small cell solution in high-traffic indoor and outdoor locations, including the historic Souq Waqif area.

Nokia Networks’ services experts first identified the key hotspots using advanced planning and analysis tools, and then discreetly installed the small cells at strategic locations such as café and restaurant rooftops to ensure additional capacity, coverage and better network availability, as well as reduce latency.

Waleed al-Sayed, chief operating officer at Ooredoo Qatar, said: “We are deploying truly ground-breaking technology such as these small cells from Nokia Networks to ensure that Ooredoo delivers a truly world-class network experience wherever you are in Qatar. We continue to be a true pioneer in Qatar, introducing next generation technology to support the delivery of a new range of smart Internet services.”

Bernard Najm, vice president and head of Middle East and Africa at Nokia Networks, said: “This deal marks an important step forward in our longstanding partnership with Ooredoo Qatar, an operator intensely focused on delivering top quality services to its customers. Nokia’s advanced mobile broadband solutions will help Ooredoo achieve its goal of enriching people’s lives, and supporting the Qatar National Vision of boosting the knowledge-based economy.”

Ooredoo and Nokia Networks have a long partnership history, with Ooredoo selecting Nokia Networks as sole supplier to build its LTE radio and core network in 2013. Ooredoo demonstrated the superiority and capacity of its network in December 2014, when Ooredoo Qatar, Nokia Networks, and China Mobile achieved a record-breaking speed of 4.1Gbps over TDD-FDD LTE, in an experiment to demonstrate future user demand.

“At this speed, even the most demanding mobile users would be able to download a full-length 5GB high-definition (HD) movie in just 11 seconds and simultaneously upload a 5-minute 30MB video clip from a concert in less than a second,” al-Sayed said.

He added: “This latest upgrade is designed to provide a better customer experience on the Ooredoo network, as well as contribute to the Qatar National Vision’s aim to boost the knowledge-based economy, by enabling a host of new customers to access the financial, educational, and social services the Internet can provide.”