The companies will explore a variety of 5G technologies in Bahrain such as Voice over New Radio, cloud-native 5G core, charging system, and NB-IoT
Batelco headquarters in Bahrain. (Credit: Masdestructive/Wikimedia Commons)
Ericsson has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bahrain Telecommunication Company (Batelco) to partner on next-generation 5G technologies and innovations in Bahrain.
The MoU calls for the companies to work together on Voice over New Radio (NR) and advanced charging system. This will improve Batelco’s real-time convergent charging apart from enabling the launch of new smart and innovative Internet of Things (IoT) products, said Ericsson.
Also included in the MoU are cloud-native 5G core and 5G standalone (SA) solutions that are said to have helped the two firms successfully execute the first 5G SA data call in Bahrain.
Another important area of focus for the two firms will be Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) as extended coverage and longer battery lives are enabled for ultra-low complexity devices.
By exploring NB-IoT, Batelco and Ericsson are expected to drive smart city visions with features like smart metering, building management, and air quality monitoring.
Ericsson Middle East and Africa vice president and Gulf Council Countries head Wojciech Bajda said: “We are certain our collaboration will support Batelco in discovering new business models and in creating new and innovative offerings in the Kingdom.
“Moreover, as 5G adoption increases in the country, we remain committed to provide Batelco with necessary technical support to cater to the growing network complexity and ensuring that fast and reliable connectivity is accessible across the country.”
The collaboration is said to be in line with Bahrain’s digital economy vision.
It is also said to be part of Batelco’s bid to boost its network capabilities to achieve goals for 5G technology in the future.
Besides, the partnership with Ericsson is expected to support development programmes for new use cases that showcase the potential of 5G for enterprises and consumers.
The partnership will also help Batelco bolster its enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) capabilities and cope with the quick growth in data traffic resulting from automation and emerging augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) applications in Bahrain.
Additionally, Batelco will be able to offer immersive media and cloud gaming experiences.
The MoU is also expected to provide the foundation for introducing 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) in the country.
Batelco CEO Mikkel Vinter said: “Presently, 5G in Bahrain is at the cusp of unlocking a wide-range of opportunities in line with Bahrain’s digital economy goals.
“In addition to the strong coverage that 5G from Ericsson provides, this MoU aims to explore ways to implement 5G technologies and reap the advanced benefits for different industries in Bahrain, through providing examples of innovative use cases.”