Nokia and du, a telecom and digital services provider, have announced the deployment of the first commercial 5G Cloud RAN solution in the Middle East and Africa region.
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The collaboration emphasizes du’s hybrid RAN strategy, which combines purpose-built and cloud-native infrastructures to improve flexibility and scalability. The deployment addresses the UAE’s changing digital needs as well as advanced use cases such as AI, machine learning, and industry-specific applications in manufacturing, energy, and logistics.
Based on Nokia’s flexible AnyRAN approach, the commercial 5G Cloud RAN site was deployed in Abu Dhabi. To support cloud-native RAN functions across the network, Red Hat OpenShift, the industry’s top hybrid cloud application platform powered by Kubernetes, and Nokia’s virtualized Distributed Units (vDU) and Centralized Units (vCU) running on Dell PowerEdge XR8620 servers were used.
Service providers like du may more effectively extend their 5G network footprint and launch new services more rapidly by integrating with Red Hat OpenShift. Additionally, they made use of Nokia’s AirScale Massive MIMO radios, which use 5G standalone architecture and operate in the 3.6 GHz (n78) spectrum frequency.
Saleem Alblooshi, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of du, said: “Our collaboration with Nokia represents a major leap forward in du’s mission to deliver exceptional network performance and innovative services. Leveraging 5G Cloud RAN will not only enhance our network’s efficiency and flexibility but also enable us to explore new opportunities and services that can deliver genuine value to our customers and society at large.”
Nokia’s commercial Cloud RAN solution supports the growing demand for RAN cloudification by coexisting with purpose-built networks in hybrid environments and evolving to full cloud-native networks, with common Nokia RAN software ensuring consistency.
Mark Atkinson, Head of RAN at Nokia, said, “This strategic partnership with du is much more than an infrastructure deployment. Both companies are committed to driving innovation by developing pioneering use cases that leverage the transformative power of AI and private wireless networks.
Under our anyRAN approach, we bring together Nokia’s expertise, trusted performance, and innovation in radio networks with best-in-class partner solutions to offer true flexibility and scalability to operators and enterprises. This collaboration will enable the development of innovative services that empower businesses and individuals alike.”
This milestone demonstrates that Nokia’s flexible anyRAN approach is the best choice for service providers and enterprises seeking strategic options for RAN evolution with purpose-built, hybrid, or cloud RAN solutions that allow customers to monetize their networks
