{"id":5788,"date":"2024-06-13T10:33:30","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T09:33:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/squire-technologies.co.uk\/blog\/?p=5788"},"modified":"2025-09-03T10:50:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T09:50:01","slug":"supporting-saudi-arabias-complex-5g-network-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/squire-technologies.co.uk\/blog\/supporting-saudi-arabias-complex-5g-network-transformation","title":{"rendered":"Supporting Saudi Arabia\u2019s complex 5G network transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Supporting Saudi Arabia\u2019s complex 5G network transformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/h2>\n

\"Saudi<\/p>\n

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Since the start of the millennium, the Middle East has greatly expanded its telecom networks. Now, 5G advances are supercharging parts of the region. However, the rapid deployment of 5G has also left mobile network operators (MNOs) juggling increasingly complex, multi-generation network infrastructures. <\/h4>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Market liberalisation and elaborate strategic partnerships are critical to the Middle East\u2019s digital transformation<\/a> but also create complicated networks. Squire Technologies has supported several network efficiency and upgrade projects in Middle Eastern countries, including with Awasr in Oman, Zain in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and another in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Recently, the team at Squire Technologies discussed the region’s development, what underlies the digital transformation, and how our solutions can support the region\u2019s ambitious goals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Middle East\u2019s phenomenal 5G success<\/h4>\n<\/h4>\n
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In 2022, three of the top five 5G leaders<\/a> were from the Middle East. Therefore it\u2019s understandable why Technavio estimates that the Middle East telecom market will hit a value of $29.57 billion<\/a> by 2026.<\/p>\n

<\/span>GSMA<\/a>, Economy Middle East<\/a> and others suggest privatisation, regulatory bodies, and mobile technology are driving the region\u2019s rapid telecoms growth. Though, there could be more to it than that. Macro-level sociological, global economic and even geographic forces have also enabled countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to race ahead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"riyadh\"<\/p>\n

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What underlies Saudi Arabia\u2019s 5G success?<\/h4>\n<\/h4>\n
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Historically, the consolidation of populations around water sources in KSA makes it easier today to achieve high levels of coverage<\/a>. It also makes network deployment and updating easier. Furthermore, climate conditions are keeping people in cities, where 90% of their time is spent indoors. This is driving the need for better indoor coverage through 5G<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Being a mobile-first society likely helps 5G adoption, and for over a decade, mobile technology has dominated the Middle East. In 2009, when 4G was launched, only 11% of the Middle East\u2019s population had a fixed-line service<\/a>, but most citizens had a mobile phone<\/a>. So, the region was primed to leverage 4G and is showing similar intent with 5G.<\/p>\n

The efficient and timely allocation of spectrum is fundamental to the success of 5G deployments <\/a>in Middle Eastern countries. Delayed allocation of 4G spectrum was detrimental to the UK\u2019s 4G rollout<\/a> costing businesses up to \u00a3730 million a year.<\/p>\n

The sustainability agenda and competition for foreign direct investment are also significantly influencing 5G\u2019s advancement in the region. KSA and the United Arab Emirates are both diversifying and competing to be global business hubs<\/a> with leading digital assets. It\u2019s a not-so-secret battle between these oil-rich nations that is driving huge digital growth.<\/p>\n

All of this has contributed to rapid 5G expansion in the region. However, the 5G rollout has revealed some interesting multi-generation network infrastructure scenarios, such as with Zain in the KSA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Saidu<\/p>\n

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Nperf.com<\/a>: Zain\u2019s network coverage in Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Managing multi-generation 5G and future 6G network integrations<\/h4>\n<\/h4>\n
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KSA’s committed to global technology leadership by 2030 and investing 2.5% of GDP<\/a> into R&D and innovation by 2040. The nation\u2019s targets include boosting non-oil exports and achieving 19.2% of GDP from its digital economy by 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A major part of KSA\u2019s goal is to enhance telecommunications to make business easier. However, while telecoms market liberalisation is growing partnerships and delivering huge technological advancements, networks are also become more complicated.<\/p>\n

For example, to accelerate 5G monetization and improve customer experience Zain needed to integrate several network components from different vendors. Its 3G, 4G and 5G cores, a new cloud-based Digital BSS and Customer Engagement solution and a replacement Online Charging System all needed integrating.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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In these situations, big vendors will often refuse to adapt to an MNO\u2019s requirements without a king\u2019s ransom. So, updating these complex, multi-vendor networks can lead to unresolvable, time-consuming, and expensive negotiations.<\/p>\n

Zain faced a situation with two rival big vendors, refusing to adapt their solutions. Squire Technologies\u2019 Unified Signalling Platform, Sigla, solved the problem, acting as an interworking function, harmonising protocol conversion and ensure accurate routing. Client data was correctly managed and accurately charged during the migration between Zain\u2019s legacy 4G OCS and the 5G OCS. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sigla normalized and overcame compatibility issues between the existing DRA and the new OCS, routing billing to the new OCS. It harmonized legacy and proprietary signalling protocols, and ensured transactional data was routed to the correct OCS depending on where the subscriber was residing at the time. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Focused<\/a><\/p>\n

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Find out more about multi-vendor networks<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Squire Technologies works with several Business and Operations Support System (BSS\/OSS) vendors like CSG, Cerillion, and Netcracker. So, the company has considerable experience in multi-generation and multi-feature integrations. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Douglas<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs operators integrate new technologies they will increasingly encounter network complexity issues. Zain\u2019s multi-generation network requirements are an example of this type of issue and how, with the right solution and provider, it can easily be handled.<\/p>\n

\u201cSquire Technologies is delighted to be working at the cutting-edge of telecommunications advancements in the region. It\u2019s inspiring to see Saudi Arabia and its neighbours achieving huge success with their 5G deployments and it’s an honour to be a part of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Douglas Bryce, Marketing Communications Specialist at Squire Technologies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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To learn more about Squire Technologies, visit <\/span>www.squire-technologies.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A State of the art Unified Signalling Platform<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Sigla brings a homogenous layer to the management and operation of multi-generation networks, freeing operators from the burden of managing multiple core networks, and reducing network complexity and operating costs.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n