Nokia, Zain KSA achieve record indoor 5G speed of 1.9 Gbps in Saudi Arabia

Nokia on Wednesday said it has achieved a record 5G speed of 1.9 Gbps during a successful trial of its next-generation indoor 5G solution at mobile operator Zain KSA's headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Nokia's AirScale Indoor Radio System (ASiR) is a dedicated indoor 5G solution that features a centralized and scalable architecture including multi-band ASiR-pRRH, ASiR-sHUB, and AirScale BBU. The solution delivers ultra-fast 5G speeds while also countering high penetration coverage losses. It also supports all major network technologies and is designed to easily upgrade from 4G to 5G NR with minimal on-site disruption.

Further, the ASiR solution provides an enhanced SFN (Single Frequency Network) indoor solution addressing key requirements such as lower cost of ownership, smaller product form factor, better indoor coverage, and macro-grade level larger capacity.

The trial's high-speeds were achieved at 3.5GHz including multi-band ASiR-pRRH and with E-UTRAN New Radio – Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), Nokia said in a news release.

"We are delighted to support Zain by providing 5G indoor coverage at its premises in Jeddah. Indoor coverage is an important piece in the 5G puzzle due to high penetration losses, especially in high profile venues and locations," said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia.

Zain KSA is a leading telecom provider in Saudi Arabia and is considered a major enabler, driving forward the digital transformation in the kingdom, as part of the Saudi Vision 2030.