Ericsson has announced the signing of an agreement with Oman Future Telecommunications (Vodafone), the Sultanate’s recently licensed third mobile network operator (MNO), to deploy, operate and maintain a new 4G and 5G core and greenfield radio access network (RAN). The Swedish vendor will supply a complete core network solution based on Ericsson Cloud Core, NFVI and Cloud VoLTE as well as an end-to-end transport network solution. The greenfield network includes other Ericsson Radio System products and solutions such as the antenna-integrated radio and Ericsson Spectrum Sharing. Ericsson states that the end-to-end solution range will deliver a cost-efficient, energy-efficient, and flexible layered architecture design to support 5G from network launch, while Vodafone customers will also benefit from VoLTE services. A five-year managed services agreement has also been signed, which will result in an AI-powered data-driven network and IT operations and optimisation, enabling Vodafone to enrich its customer experience, drive efficiency and facilitate innovation.
Ericsson will take responsibility for the design, rollout, operations, management, optimisation, and maintenance of Vodafone’s network. ‘We are proud to be chosen by Vodafone to deploy and run their entire greenfield network in Oman. This collaboration will lead to Vodafone launching its new mobile broadband service and providing Oman with an additional nationwide mobile network,’ stated Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, adding: ‘We are pleased to implement the latest in radio access and core technologies, as well as utilising the latest in automation, and artificial intelligence software to run the network and secure great user experience.’