COUNTRY FOCUS: IRAQ
“This network modernisation and
expansion is only the beginning of
providing the best possible service
quality and coverage with the
most advanced technologies.”
aspects including education, youth
empowerment and support for internally
displaced persons, children and women.
“Nokia International is committed to
support telecom operators by providing
state-of-the-art technology innovations
that will help them leverage techniques
to optimise network resources and boost
speeds to meet growing data demands,”
said Bernard Najm, Head of Middle-East
at Nokia International.
“Being a pioneer in embracing the
world’s highest standards, Zain Iraq
constantly strives to offer a better and
enhanced experience for its subscribers.
This is particularly important with the
network in Karbala experiencing spikes
in demand due to the increase in the
number of visitors, as well as the entire
southern governorates. The challenge
of maintaining quality coverage during
the huge traffic is answered by Nokia.
Our technology comes to encounter
this dramatically growing demand for
internet data.”
Zain Iraq makes huge efforts to adopt
various advanced technical solutions
that ensure a smooth flow of data and
calls and meet the increasing demand.
Karbala is witnessing steady growth in
the use of ICT services as a result of
the high penetration of smartphones
and the high use of social media
platforms. The plan for expanding and
upgrading the network coverage in the
South region is the first phase of Zain’s
integrated plan to cover all governorates
of Iraq. The company has invested
heavily in bringing the latest technology
to Iraq in response to the growing needs
of mobile subscribers.
Nokia is already modernising and
expanding Zain Iraq’s radio networks
44
INTELLIGENTCIO
with its most advanced technologies
across Karbala, Najaf and Basra, with
a special focus on the holy cities of
Karbala and Najaf.
This is to support the expected
increase in data and voice traffic
during Zeyara as millions of people
converge on the region.
Once completed, the upgrade will
allow users to enjoy improved indoor
and outdoor coverage in both urban
and rural areas as well as increased
data throughput, leading to an overall
superior customer experience.
Nokia’s project management and
proven services expertise will be used to
expand and modernise Zain Iraq’s 2G
and 3G network, providing ubiquitous
coverage and faster mobile broadband.
Additionally, the Nokia Mass
Event Handler will be deployed to
address the surge in data and voice
consumption expected during Zeyara
- an annual event in the holy city of
Karbala, which culminates in the event
of Al Arba’een. It attracts visitors from
across the globe and is one of the
world’s largest public gatherings.
The network modernisation will
allow visitors to remain continuously
connected with their loved ones through
superior voice and data connectivity
during Al Arba’een and beyond.
Ali Al-Zahid, Chief Executive Officer
of Zain Iraq, said: “Our top priority is
to provide superior services for our
subscribers. This network modernisation
and expansion is only the beginning
of providing the best possible service
quality and coverage with the most
advanced technologies across the
overall Karbala and Najaf region and the
rest of the southern region.
“We selected Nokia, our longstanding
technology partner, for this important
project, as we are confident that its
advanced technologies will enable
our network to provide such superior
services. The current project will also
enable a best-in-class mobile experience
for visitors to Zeyara when we expect a
high turnout.”
Bernard Najm, head of the Middle East
Market Unit at Nokia, said: “Nokia fully
understands Zain Iraq’s requirements
and is committed to providing
leading technologies to enable
pioneering services for its subscribers.
Nokia’s solutions cater to the unique
connectivity requirements of mass
events, and will help Zain Iraq address
the expected surge in data and voice
consumption during Zeyara.”
Nokia FlexiZone has been deployed
to improve the 3G network in Karbala,
enhancing coverage and capacity.
In fact Nokia has also extended its Flexi
Zone portfolio of small cell radios with
new features that boost performance
and simplify deployment, enabling
faster installation and optimisation for
operators and enterprises seeking to
satisfy surging data use.
Operators are expanding ultra-dense
networks to provide capacity and
connectivity to support future demands
including IoT and particularly in dense
‘megacity’ locations.
As such, the deployment of small cells is
becoming highly attractive: enterprises
wishing to deploy dedicated, secure
and robust networks to enhance their
businesses will also require a simplified
deployment process, with the ability to
self-install small cells without specialised
network knowledge.
Mark Atkinson, head of the Small
Cell Business Line at Nokia, said: “We
continue to boost the performance
of our Flexi Zone portfolio to smooth
operators’ deployment of much-needed
capacity into their networks.
www.intelligentcio.com