Nokia, Ooredoo Qatar Reach Wireless Network Milestone

Nokia and Ooredoo Qatar have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region with the establishment of the first private wireless network for the energy sector. This innovative project, a first in the MEA, focuses on delivering dedicated voice and customer data services in remote and challenging environments.

The deployed solution is designed to accommodate an initial capacity of 20,000 subscribers for the offshore grid. Its primary goal is to seamlessly connect offshore and onshore facilities, ensuring reliable voice and data services. By providing dedicated connectivity, this network empowers customers to digitize and automate operations, representing a significant advancement in efficiency and productivity.

Nokia will supply state-of-the-art products tailored to deliver resilient mission-critical connectivity, along with deployment and care services. Resident engineers from Nokia will provide expert support to ensure the network operates optimally. The solution includes a native offshore system that integrates seamlessly with the existing commercial core. This integration enhances operational efficiency, reduces interruptions from onshore connectivity, and facilitates interoperability and interservice handovers, resulting in smoother and more reliable communication between offshore and onshore locations. Additionally, the deployment addresses latency issues through localized data services to enhance process efficiency and improve the overall customer experience by replacing older Wi-Fi and WiMAX technologies.

Günther Ottendorfer, CTIO at Ooredoo Qatar, emphasized the project’s significance, stating that it underscores their commitment to transforming communication solutions for challenging environments. The landmark project, offering dedicated voice and data services, sets the stage for the oil and gas sector and other industries to adopt similar solutions, ushering in a new era in connectivity.

Samar Mittal, VP of Cloud and Network Services (CNS) at Nokia MEA, highlighted the robust and resilient connectivity solution provided by Nokia’s enterprise solution specifically designed for offshore locations. This partnership with Ooredoo Qatar, according to Mittal, establishes new benchmarks for innovation, efficiency, and reliability in the energy sector.

Nokia’s track record includes deploying mission-critical networks to over 2,600 enterprise customers globally in various sectors, including transportation, energy, large enterprise, manufacturing, webscale, and the public sector. The company’s expertise extends to more than 675 private wireless customers worldwide, positioning Nokia as the leading provider of private industrial-grade wireless networking globally, as recognized by numerous industry analysts.