Page 43 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Nokia and MCIT Boost Sustainability and Customer Network Support with

New Maintenance Hub in Saudi Arabia

Nokia announced the opening of a new
regional maintenance hub in Riyadh in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that will support
its customers across the Middle East and
Africa (MEA) region. The new center will
provide repair and support services for
Nokia’s 5G and legacy telecoms network
equipment as well as training to local
engineers. The move supports Nokia’s
efforts to extend the lifespan of its
network equipment through the adoption
of circular practices that enable greater
material efficiency and reduced waste,
enabling more sustainable networks. The
initiative is part of Nokia's plan to expand
its operations in the Kingdom and support
digital transformation and the localization targets to cut emissions across its value in our Kingdom but also across the MEA
of equipment services. Nokia's investment chain by 50 percent between 2019 and region. This is yet another milestone in
is dedicated to knowledge sharing 2030 as part of its renewed science- the collaboration with MCIT and it further
particularly in undertaking complex and based targets. Approximately 50 percent deepens the strong relationship between
critical repair and reuse services while of global emissions come from the global Nokia and the Kingdom.” Ibrahim Al-
ensuring sustainable localization. The production of materials and less than 10 Abbas, Senior Country Officer for Saudi
new center is expected to save at least percent of materials are treated as circular. Arabia at Nokia, said: “Saudi Arabia
four weeks of end-to-end logistics time Nokia adopted circular practices over has great significance to Nokia and is
as well as reduce the environmental 25 years ago and has made significant our largest market in the region. From
impact of logistics by having a local progress in adopting circular practices by this perspective, setting up a regional
center instead of a global model. Nokia reusing, recycling, and repairing legacy maintenance hub is an important initiative,
will work in partnership with a local firm, products and components to extend their and will enable us to offer our customers
Saak International on the initiative. The life cycle and optimize waste management. across the Middle East and Africa region
center is one of Nokia's first initiatives In 2020, Nokia processed 5,870 metric world-class support services as well as
following the signing of a Memorandum tons of obsolete products and parts. Eng. improve the capabilities of local engineers.
of Understanding (MoU) between Bassam Al Bassam, Deputy Minister for Extending the lifetime of products through
the Ministry of Communications and Telecom and Digital Infrastructure at the adoption of circular practices takes us
Information Technology (MCIT) of Saudi MCIT, said: “We are pleased that Nokia a step closer to achieving our own climate
Arabia and Nokia in 2019. The agreement has chosen Saudi Arabia as a regional hub goals while reducing waste and realizing
supports the country’s ‘Saudi Vision for its maintenance operations to serve the full value of our products.”
2030’ strategy. Nokia has set ambitious enterprises and service providers not only

Nokia and Telefonica Achieve 5G 2CC Uplink CA in a Commercial Network

Nokia and Telefonica Deutschland performance of 5G by delivering improved on technological innovations that will
(O2) have announced that they have uplink network usability at the cell edge make our O2 network of the future
successfully aggregated sub-6GHz with higher reliability and lower latency. more powerful,’ said Mallik Rao, Chief
spectrum frequencies in a two-component Nokia provided solutions from its AirScale Technology and Information Officer at
carrier (2CC) uplink Carrier Aggregation (CA) portfolio and MediaTek provided its 5G Telefonica Deutschland, adding: ‘With
trial in a 5G Standalone (5G SA) network. mobile platform. The companies used the frequency bundling, we will enable our
Nokia has previously demonstrated four combination of a 20MHz carrier on the customers to enjoy faster downloads and
component carrier downlink 5G CA, as well 1800MHz band and a 70MHz carrier on uploads in our 5G network in the future.
as uplink CA on millimeter wave spectrum. the 3.6GHz band using CA technology to Together with our long-time partner Nokia,
Together with Telefonica Deutschland, achieve a peak throughput of 144Mbps. we have succeeded in taking this step also
the Finnish vendor says it is the first to ‘We want to offer our customers an for uploads in the 5G SA network. CA will
combine sub-6GHz spectrum to boost optimal 5G experience in their everyday take our 5G network to the next level and
uplink throughput. CA will improve the digital lives. We are continuously working improve the network experience.’

43 NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2022