Bahrain: Zain has selected Ericsson to build its 5G network in Bahrain, with the first commercial 5G services expected to go live before the end of 2019.

Spanning Ericsson 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G Core products and solutions, Zain Bahrain said it aims to enhance the digital lives of people, enterprises and industries in the country via its 5G network.

Under the contract, Zain Bahrain’s network will be modernised from LTE to 5G, a statement said.

It added that Ericsson’s 5G portfolio will enable Zain Bahrain to expand coverage while simultaneously strengthening its current network. Ericsson’s high-speed and low-latency 5G technology will help Zain to meet growing data traffic demands and deliver high-quality mobile broadband and fixed wireless experiences.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Al Khalifa, Zain Bahrain chairman, said: “This agreement marks a major milestone for both companies. Zain Bahrain is excited about the new strategic partnership with Ericsson to support, expand and speed up the deployment of the Kingdom 5G network. 

"Zain Bahrain’s ability to provide the latest 5G revolution services comes under the continuos commitment to invest in Zain’s digitalization strategy to empower Zain Bahrain customers with solutions and services that are at the forefront of our digital future.”

Fadi Pharaon, president of Ericsson Middle East & Africa, added: “5G promises to accelerate the digitization of industries, presenting new opportunities and enabling service providers to launch the most advanced technologies while improving the end-user experience with faster speeds and lower latency. The deployment of these technologies will enable Zain Bahrain to meet the rapidly evolving demands of consumers and accelerate deployment of new use cases and innovative services for their enterprise and industry customers."

Ericsson said it now has more than 70 commercial 5G agreements or contracts with unique communication service providers, of which 23 are live networks.