Page 25 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

SAMENA TRENDS

MEMBERS NEWS

stc, First to Switch on 5G 3 Component Carrier
Aggregation in the Middle East and Africa

stc, Nokia and MediaTek announced experience, as well as reducing the battery service providers to make optimal use
that they have successfully verified 3 consumption of user devices in stc’s spectrum without impacting the network
Component Carrier Aggregation (3CC-CA) network. CA combines spectrum from performance. Nokia is at the forefront of
in a 5G Standalone (SA) network in the city different frequency bands to enhance developing 5G CA and other technologies
of Makkah for the first time in the Middle coverage and network capacity, providing that support service providers in
East and Africa. Carrier Aggregation (CA) higher data rates, increased coverage and maximizing the use of available resources.
allows mobile operators to reach higher superior indoor performance by allowing We look forward to implementing this
throughputs by combining FDD and TDD service providers to make optimal use solution with stc based on commercial
spectrum and efficiently utilize their of 5G spectrum. It also enables service hardware and software.” Rami Osman,
spectrum assets to enhance the 5G user providers to bring down the cost of Director, Business Development Middle
experience. CA will support stc to deliver deploying 5G networks while enhancing East and Africa at MediaTek, said: “Today
leading 5G services to its customers, as customer experience. Bader Allhieb, we demonstrate a significant milestone
well as achieve a faster time to market Infrastructure Sector VP at stc, said: "This of combining 3CC-CA radio technologies
for new 5G use cases. The companies crucial, region-first trial of 3CC-CA in 5G with 5G Standalone architecture to deliver
used the combination of one FDD carrier SA mode reiterates our commitment to best-in-class speed and efficiently boost
(20MHz) and two TDD carriers to create provide a world-class experience to our the utilization of 5G spectrum assets. This
180MHz of spectrum using FDD-TDD CA subscribers. Nokia's carrier aggregation collaboration paves the way to keep Saudi
technology. Nokia used its commercial solution gives us a competitive edge by Arabia on the top of global scale of 5G
AirScale Baseband, massive MIMO and providing best-in-class speed, capacity network performance by taking advantage
RRH products, powered by its Reefshark and coverage to our subscribers. We look of this cutting-edge connectivity features
chipset on stc’s live network. MediaTek forward to continuing our engagement for smartphones powered by the
provided its 5G mobile platform featuring with Nokia to enhance our 5G capabilities Dimensity 9000 flagship and forthcoming
its Release-16 ready, M80 modem. The and efficiencies." Khalid Hussein, Head Dimensity 5G mobile platforms.”
trial also demonstrated how carrier of stc Customer Business Team at
aggregation will improve the overall 5G Nokia, said: “Carrier aggregation allows

stc and the London Internet Exchange (LINX) Expand JEDIX Interconnection
Services in Saudi Arabia

stc and the London Internet Exchange
(LINX) announce the expansion of
interconnection services to new Internet
Exchange Points (IXPs) in Riyadh and
Dammam to complement the initial
collaborative project, JEDIX, which
was launched in 2018 in Jeddah. All
internet exchanges will continue to be
supplied and managed by the London
Internet Exchange (LINX). JEDIX, the first
exchange point in KSA, is a carrier neutral
exchange which interconnects carriers,
cloud, content providers, local ISPs and
enterprise networks connected in MG1
(MENA Gateway). Jeddah is one of the
main landing stations for subsea cables
in the Middle East, providing convenient

25 MARCH-APRIL 2022