Middle East operators have opened the first regional community lab in collaboration with Telecom Infra Project (TIP) and Intel, following the signing of the Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) MoU last year.
The move will accelerate the implementation of Open RAN solutions in their existing telecom networks in order to support the early adoption and development of a robust regional ICT ecosystem.
Two new operators Batelco and Omantel have also signed the Open RAN MoU, joining the e& formerly known as Etisalat Group, stc, Zain Group, Mobily, and du from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), in their commitment to deploy Open RAN across their footprint and enhance supreme network experiences for end-users.
The Middle East lab will provide a platform for the parties to jointly deploy open and disaggregated technologies into their networks to optimize the online experiences of businesses and consumers. Flexible, interoperable and standards-based solutions such as OpenRAN present a compelling opportunity for operators to become more efficient in meeting the ever-growing need for high bandwidth, low latency, and advanced connectivity.
The lab will provide shared facilities and access to Intel technologies for members and vendors, and catalyst for OpenRAN deployments.
Through the TIP end-to-end process, operators become empowered to deploy more flexible and resilient networks optimized for specific use cases. By sharing industry knowledge to align and prioritise their technical requirements, TIP participants contribute to the creation of centralized technical roadmaps that will set the direction for the development of new network infrastructure products and solutions. Operators can then leverage TIP’s test and validation process to quickly and easily assess those products and solutions that will best contribute to the transformation of their networks.
Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Vice President, Technology Synergies, Etisalat
More than ever, our customers rely on high-quality connectivity for their daily requirements. The need for such smart connectivity will only increase in the future. I’m delighted to witness more operators from our region partnering with us in our efforts to position the Middle East as a global leader in developing and deploying such innovative network solutions.
