Vodafone Qatar and Nokia Utilise Advanced 5G Services To Modernise Network

Vodafone Qatar’s latest partnership with Nokia marks a significant step towards deploying emerging technologies as a part of its commitment to driving digital transformation in the country, according to chief technology officer, Ramy Boctor.

“Vodafone Qatar and Nokia have developed a plan for a nationwide network infrastructure modernisation to enhance our network capabilities and ultimately lead to the deployment of advanced 5G services in Qatar.

“What this means for business and consumers is that Vodafone Qatar will be able to deliver faster, more efficient, and more secure telecommunications services,” Boctor told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview.

Only recently, Vodafone Qatar announced an agreement with Nokia to lead a nationwide network modernisation that will enable it to deliver faster, more secure, and highly adaptable 5G services to consumers and businesses across Qatar, while preparing for next-generation innovations.

Citing the rapid evolution of the digitalisation and telecommunications market, Boctor noted that the company is anticipating “immense growth in the coming years,” noting that Qatar’s ICT sector is projected to grow at an annual rate of “8.5%” through 2030.

“With this in mind, flexibility is paramount, and Vodafone Qatar has made it a primary goal of its nationwide infrastructure modernisation to develop highly adaptable 5G services for consumers and businesses across Qatar, while also preparing for next-generation innovations. 

Our vision is to both provide the best services possible while simultaneously allowing room for upcoming developments and innovations in 5G connectivity,” he explained.

Boctor further pointed out that another primary focus of this transformation is boosting Vodafone’s broadband network capabilities. With increasing demand for high-speed, reliable internet across homes and enterprises, he said Vodafone Qatar’s infrastructure upgrades will enable it to deliver “fast broadband with higher capacity and coverage than ever before.”

He said, “Crucially, this modernisation effort will also introduce automation and orchestration across the network, leveraging advanced AI capabilities. 

These technologies will not only enhance operational effectiveness and significantly reduce time to market, but also open the door for broader innovation beyond traditional telecom services.

“From smart cities and IoT ecosystems to enterprise-level solutions, Vodafone Qatar’s network will serve as a dynamic platform for innovation, enabling the country’s digital future.”

Speaking to Gulf Times earlier, Raghav Sahgal, president of Cloud and Network Services at Nokia, spoke about how the company’s digital operations software could play a vital role in Vodafone Qatar’s journey towards fully autonomous networks and how AI-driven assurance and 5G slicing automation improve service delivery.

5G provides the ability to deliver much higher performance and deterministic performance, noted Sahgal, adding that “if you want a certain amount of bandwidth guaranteed without fluctuation, you can deliver a slice of a network to that enterprise or the consumer.”

On AI-driven network assurance, Sahgal explained that “assurance is about making sure that if there are faults in the network, you’re able to redirect traffic or whatever it is to ensure that services continue for customers.”

“Digital operations play a strong role in making sure that what the customer wants is created for them and delivered based on their requirements, rather than just providing predefined services,” said Sahgal, citing 5G slicing automation.