Qatar’s Autonomous Network Investments Crucial for 2030 Vision, Says Nokia Official

Qatar’s investments in autonomous networks are essential for the country’s 2030 vision and future growth, according to Raghav Sahgal, president of Cloud and Network Services at Nokia.

Speaking to Gulf Times  in an exclusive interview, Sahgal highlighted the “impressive progress” Qatar is making in building advanced networks, placing its operators among the global leaders in network quality and speed.

He emphasised that as the country “moves towards 2030 and beyond,” with the advent of technologies like 6G, networks will become more intelligent.

 According to Sahgal, networks that can “sense, think, and act” autonomously, which he pointed out as “crucial for the increasing digital transformation of industries, not just for consumers and businesses.”

He noted that Qatar’s vision for a digital society, where enterprises thrive, relies on creating an environment that fosters high productivity to attract investment and develop new industries.

Sahgal underscored the vital role played by communication in today’s digital future, saying that while cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) are important, “connectivity is what brings them together.”

He said, “Nokia aims to bridge the world of cloud and AI through the networks they are building, especially as future networks evolve to autonomously sense, think, and act. 

These advanced networks will be able to serve the needs of various industries, businesses, consumers, and application developers.”

Sahgal views the country’s current investments in autonomous networks as a “vital cog” in realising Qatar National Vision 2030, acknowledging the Gulf nation’s ongoing local investments in cloud and AI.

 But he was also quick to stress the importance of linking them all together through communication networks, noting that he finds Qatar’s commitment to building these autonomous networks “spot-on” with its overall vision.

When asked about his message to Qatari businesses, Sahgal underscored that communication is the fundamental building block of digitalisation. He believes that anything that helps foster the development and innovation of communication networks will benefit any country.

He likened communication, particularly mobile connectivity, to critical infrastructure, an area where innovation must flourish. Sahgal affirmed that Nokia’s primary goal is to provide innovative solutions to its customers, such as operators like Vodafone Qatar, to help the company achieve its vision of building world-class networks.