Ooredoo Qatar awarded a nationwide 3G and LTE small cell deployment contract to Nokia Networks following successful trials of the equipment vendor's infrastructure in the country's capital, Doha.
The infrastructure company said it would deploy its Flexi Lite 3G and Flexi Zone 4G micro base stations throughout Qatar after proving the effectiveness of the kit during trials in high traffic indoor and outdoor locations in the capital city. The deployment will enable Ooredoo to boost the quality of its voice and mobile data services, the company said.
In a statement, Nokia Networks explained that the micro base stations are optimised for indoor and outdoor coverage, and that it will further boost indoor coverage by including its Flexi Zone 4G pico base stations in the small cell deployment.
The company is also providing network management services in the small cell and macro network, and handling network planning, optimisation, design and implementation services, which includes identifying suitable hotspots for the small cell network.
Nokia Networks said its small cell equipment offers the same software and processing abilities as its micro base stations, but require less space.
During the Ooredoo trials, the equipment was installed on the roofs of cafes and restaurants, providing additional capacity to customers that Ooredoo Qatar's COO Waleed Al Sayed said "demand high-quality services, even in complex hotspots and crowded urban zones."
Al Sayed added that the Nokia Networks small cell deployment will enable the operator to offer subscribers "more capacity, higher availability and reduced latency."
Bernard Najm, vice president and head of Middle East and Africa at Nokia Networks, said the deal strengthens the relationship between his company and the operator, which awarded a sole supplier LTE deployment deal to Nokia Networks in 2013.
"Nokia's advanced mobile broadband solutions will help Ooredoo achieve its goal of enriching people's lives and supporting the Qatar National Vision of boosting the knowledge-based economy," Najm said.
For more:
- see this Nokia Networks announcement
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