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Bahrain Telecommunication Company (Batelco) is part of the Beyon Group
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Batelco's 5G private wireless networks will target mission-critical enterprises in the country
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Partnership allows Batelco to increase its engagement with mission-critical enterprises
Bahrain Telecommunication Company (Batelco), part of the Beyon Group, and Finnish telecom vendor Nokia have partnered to provide 5G private wireless networks in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
As part of the partnership, Batelco will use Nokia’s private 5G networks, along with edge components and industrial devices, to build 5G private wireless solutions for government agencies and mission-critical enterprises in the country. Batelco will sell Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) and Modular Private Wireless (MPW) solutions in the country.
“The 5G private wireless solutions will enable industries in Bahrain to unlock new revenue streams, improve their operational KPIs and seek higher standards for health and safety in their operational environment,” says the press release.
The service provider will be targeting mission-critical industries, such as oil and gas, power and electricity, manufacturing and ports, according to the press release issued by Batelco.
“The availability of high-performance connectivity solutions will initiate a new era of network usage, transforming worker safety outcomes, fostering innovation, and increasing revenue streams across diverse sectors,” Maitham Abdulla, CEO of Batelco, noted in the release.
“This partnership will pave the way for mission-critical sectors to utilize industrial-grade private networks as an enabler for digital transformation and progress towards performance goals,” says Mahmoud El-Banna, Head of Enterprise Campus Edge Business, MEA at Nokia. Nokia believes that Batelco will gain its experience of offering 5G private net
Batelco seems to be focusing on the enterprise segment. Last year, the service provider launched an online portal for the enterprise sector to make it easier for them to procure and manage their connectivity needs. In addition, it recently launched a new service, Bwave, a wavelength service offering 400G capacity high-speed connectivity to hyperscalers, data center operators, content providers, and enterprises.
It is unclear if Nokia will be Batelco’s sole supplier for its private 5G wireless solution. Nokia has formed a similar partnership with Telefonica for private wireless network solutions in Latin America. Several service providers have partnered with vendors to provide private 5G wireless networks. For instance, Orange Spain has partnered with Ericsson to offer private 5G wireless networks in Spain.
Bahrain achieved nationwide 5G coverage in 2021. Apart from Batelco, Zain Bahrain, STC Bahrain, and Kalaam Telecom are the other service providers in the country.
With this initiative, Batelco will move beyond providing a 5G public network, however it's taking second place behind its competitor, STC Bahrain, which already offers private 5G wireless services and also works with Nokia, among other vendors.