Mobily and Ericsson sign deal to scale up 5G technology applications in the region

Mobily and Ericsson have signed a deal to exchange experiences and take advantage of the global programme for partnerships in 5G applications in order to strengthen its position in 5G services and accelerate the use of 5G applications by all sectors and consumers in Saudi Arabia. This will help it contribute to Vision 2030‘s digital economy mandate. The initiative encourages collaboration among communications service providers, prominent enterprises, and startups to build new 5G technologies and services. Through this agreement, Mobily has access to 25 years worth of ICT research from Ericsson’s Consumer Lab which enhances its advancement in this field, as well as gain exclusive access to a worldwide network of 5G startups who aim to digitally transform 5G networks in the Middle East.

Mobily and Ericsson are teaming up to accelerate 5G technology research in the region. Mobily’s attempts to develop novel consumer-centric 5G applications and services are aided by the initiative, which connects Mobily to a wide spectrum of companies that deliver AR and AI solutions. New use cases in the fields of embedded experience, AR and AI games, e-sports, music and entertainment services can be supported thanks to 5G’s reduced latency.

Ismail Al-Ghamdi, Mobily’s Chief Consumer Officer, said: “ We are pleased to partner in Ericsson’s 5G Program which contributes to linking us with a group of startups leading in 5G applications. This partnership is a step towards achieving leading position in digital transformation over 5G technologies in the Kingdom. As the demand for 5G services is increasing in the Kingdom, we aspire to provide our customers with innovative and useful services and applications. We believe that this program will support our efforts by accessing wide experience and research on consumers”.

Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Head of ConsumerLab at Ericsson Research, says: “We are really looking forward to collaborating with Mobily through the Ericsson Startup 5G program to drive 5G consumer innovation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leveraging our curated selection of global startups. The collaboration offers Mobily the ability to cater to consumer demands for innovative apps and digital services and to drive monetization of new 5G consumer offerings.”

Ekow Nelson, Vice President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “We are very happy to collaborate with Mobily and have them onboard our 5G program. We believe this collaboration will not only help Mobily develop innovative consumer-centered 5G services but will also massively aid the expansion of 5G in the Kingdom which is a key pillar to achieve Saudi Arabia Vision 2030.5G technology has the potential to tremendously enhance the user experience of Mobily and we hope to help the region realize and develop on this.”

The largest worldwide 5G consumer survey report, titled ‘Five Ways to a Better 5G,’ was recently released by Ericsson, which anticipates that an additional 300 million customers will use 5G by 2021. Furthermore, the Ericsson Mobility Report for June 2021 expects more than 580 million 5G users by the end of 2021, emphasising the importance for CSPs to create and offer novel consumer services as 5G technology spreads globally.