Ooredoo Qatar and Ericsson have announced the successful implementation of the world’s first 5G Indoor shareable solution in Qatar, achieving speeds of 1.5 gigabits per second (Gbps). The solution, which is called Ericsson Indoor Connect 8855, has been commercially deployed in stadiums across the country to enhance the immersive experiences of international tournaments.
Part of the Ericsson Radio Dot System, Indoor Connect 8855 is a multi-operator, multi-vendor, solution with full band support and 4×4 MIMO capability. With this unique solution, several communications service providers can deliver a superior indoor 5G experience to their subscribers with speeds beyond 1 Gbps.
This unique system also helps service providers address aesthetical challenges, while enabling more efficient and cost-effective solutions. By leveraging shared indoor radio infrastructure, service providers can generate total cost of ownership (TCO) savings of up to 50 percent compared to other solutions on the market.
The solution also ensures reliable gigabit performance to end users and seamlessly caters to high-demanding users at massive events that have high traffic like the anticipated major global football tournament taking place from November to December 2022.
The solution was also showcased at a regional football tournament held in Qatar in 2021 catering for the high requirements of network subscribers during the event and tackling and delivering high capacity per user, reaching peak rates of up to 1.5 Gbps. The flexibility and quick time-to-market of this solution allowed Ooredoo Qatar and Ericsson to deploy within weeks ahead of the tournament.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, says: “With 5G creating new use cases across the country, indoor connectivity will play a key role in realizing these opportunities and driving new businesses. The shareable indoor solution is one that opens a wide range of possibilities that help us meet high-capacity needs and address market demands swiftly. We are confident our collaboration with Ericsson on their 5G Indoor shareable solutions will help deploy indoor networks faster and offer the highest performance possible to deliver on new 5G opportunities and enhance our customers’ experience.”
Ericsson’s 5G indoor solutions deliver the high per-user capacity and rate coverage required to meet the challenges of digitally urbanized environments. With Ericsson Indoor Connect 8855, Ooredoo is able to upgrade their existing non-shareable 5G indoor sites easily and quickly.
Offering exceptional indoor gigabit 5G speeds at event venues and stadiums, where capacity is a key requirement and great performance is a must, Ericsson’s shareable 5G solution ensures seamless real-time and immersive experiences for users across the country.
Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “In recent years, advanced indoor connectivity has propelled new 5G use cases in locations such as airports, offices, factories, and stadiums. With our shareable indoor 5G solutions proven to deliver scalability, speed of deployment, flexibility, and faster time-to-market, we are certain it will help Ooredoo deliver exceptional user experiences to customers across Qatar and explore a vast multitude of new offerings in indoor spaces.”
With the Ericsson Radio Dot System being 5G- and Internet of Things (IoT)- ready, it is set to enable service providers across the nation to seize the business potential of indoor connectivity and deliver seamless 5G experiences.
