Nokia and Ooredoo have announced the introduction of 4G and 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) throughout Oman.
Work to deploy the Nokia FastMile 4G FWA solution throughout the country commenced in February 2021.
The scope of work will initially see 15,000 homes and businesses connected. In addition, 3,000 homes in city centers will soon get Nokia FastMile 5G FWA, the company said.
“Fixed wireless access is a critical part of our strategy to provide high-speed internet across Oman. Nokia’s solution offers a great 4G and 5G experience so that more of our customers can enjoy the internet with us.
The service will take connectivity to the next level, supporting the demands of our residential and business customers for super fast and reliable connectivity,” said Noor Al Sulaiti, Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo Oman.
According to Khin Sandi Lynn, Industry Analyst, ABI there is significant traction for both 4G and 5G FWA technologies as operators increasingly use these solutions as a way to bring ultra-broadband access and services to customers.
ABI Research forecast that the worldwide FWA subscriber base is expected to double in 2025 reaching 165 million. Technologies like Nokia’s FastMile FWA solution provide operators with the flexibility to quickly connect subscribers without the hassle of connecting any wires.
“We are excited to have partnered with Ooredoo Oman to enable world-class FWA connectivity for its customers and look forward to further strengthening our collaboration.
Our receivers and gateways are field-proven to provide connectivity and best-in-class speed in the toughest of radio conditions which will help Ooredoo serve a larger area.
The high gain antennas guarantee the most efficient use of radio airtime of any customer premise equipment, saving radio costs,” said Rima Manna, Head of the Middle East Market Unit, Nokia MEA.
The deployment of FWA will focus on 4G solutions based on Nokia FastMile 4G Compact Receiver and Nokia WiFi Beacon and Nokia FastMile 5G Gateway.
The Nokia FastMile solution allows operators to build profitably on their existing Radio Access Network (RAN) installed base and idle rural spectrum so they can offer fixed wireless broadband to urban, suburban, and rural users.
Nokia FastMile includes customer premise equipment with a built-in modem and antenna, a cloud-based controller for point of sales, monitoring, and control, and smartphone applications for installation and support.
Together they provide a powerful end-to-end solution delivering guaranteed sustained rates to fixed subscribers, the company added.
According to a media report, FWA has huge potential, especially for connecting homes and businesses in remote areas to 5G networks and addressing long-standing broadband connectivity issues.
In a December 2020 trial that aimed to reveal how FWA could help urban, suburban, and rural areas boost connectivity capacity and prove the feasibility of 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies in powering high-speed, long-distance FWA devices, Italian operator TIM, Ericsson and Qualcomm claimed to have set a world record for long-distance speed with 5G mmWave technology.
