PARTNER INTERVIEW: With initial work on Release 18 in 3GPP started in 2022, commercialization of 5G-Advanced networks is expected from 2024. As the technology evolves, the next-gen system will play an important role in bridging from 5G to 6G, adding new features previously not standardized in the 3GPP process.

Marking the “second phase” of 5G, 5G-Advanced will deliver a new wave of wireless technology innovation.

A report by GSMA Intelligence notes 5G-Advanced is designed to bring enhancements to mobility, global connectivity with non-terrestrial networks, uplink and multicast at lower latency and sub-decimetre positioning accuracy. It also will improve XR and time-sensitive communication, and further support IoT verticals with advanced features.

In addition, 5G-Advanced will enable increased sustainability by using AI and machine-learning data-driven designs to improve the user experience and enhance network operations.

Zain KSA is at the forefront of operator developments in 5G-Advanced. The digital services provider delivered a speech at the 5G-Advanced Summit at MWC Barcelona 2023. During the summit, we learned how 5G-Advanced is empowering AI innovations and how 5G-Advanced is taking the industry to even greater heights of value and new opportunities.

Zain KSA CTO Eng. Abdulrahman AlMufadda outlined the company’s network vision in an interview with Mobile World Live (MWL) at MWC Barcelona 2023, highlighting the scenarios and use cases most important to Zain KSA as it moves to 5G-Advanced.

AlMufadda is a pioneer in the 5G space, having helped Zain KSA to launch one of the world’s first 5G networks in 2019. Under his leadership, Zain KSA seized its first-mover position in 5G development and provided world-class 5G experiences to support the strategic objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Worth noting that Zain KSA has won the award for “Best Middle Eastern 5G Standalone Network” in recognition of its roll-out of the Kingdom’s first 5G Stand Alone network in January 2022.

MWL: As we enter the era of 5G-Advanced, there are boundless opportunities for innovation and growth. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on what you consider valuable in this new era and what plans you have for harnessing its potential.

Eng. Al Mufadda: Zain KSA has adopted an over-arching strategy committed to building a future-proof Saudi digital ecosystem that drives economic returns and enhances the quality of life, in line with the national roadmap outlined by Saudi Vision 2030. Our strategy focuses on pairing our award-winning 5G network with vertical expansion into adjacent markets.

With the higher capabilities 5G-Advanced will bring, new doors for multiple opportunities will be open. At Zain KSA, we see AI as an essential tool for optimizing our network, while expanding our networks vertically and horizontally, and continuing to innovate with new 5G use cases, delivering products and services that empower the modern-day user and the modern-day entrepreneur. The ability to offer unconventional experiences at scale, especially in gaming and video streaming, in addition to specific industrial/B2B use cases, is essential for unlocking the 5G potential, transforming industries, and enhancing lifestyles.

AI will help increase our productivity by automating our network, our processes and scaling up our offerings based on big data analytics, providing insights from vast amounts of data, which the human brain cannot process alone.

As a digital services provider and a mobile network operator, we face the challenge of optimizing our networks to deliver the best possible customer experience as we live in a very dynamic environment, where parameters and traffic movement are changing very quickly.

In addition, different customers have different needs. For example, with high-value customers requiring faster data speeds, gamers will seek more latency-sensitive experiences, and video streamers will focus more on upload capabilities.

By using AI, we can analyze huge amounts of data in real time, identify patterns and make intelligent decisions to optimize and scale the network more efficiently, ensuring each customer gets the best network experience that meets his or her requirements.

Not only that, 5G-Advanced will unlock new horizons for B2B, especially for Industry 4.0 applications that will accelerate the transition to a digital economy, leveraging the latest capabilities that 5G-Advanced will bring to the table.

MWL: 5G-Advanced supports enhanced capabilities such as 10Gb/s downlink, 1Gb/s uplink, passive IoT and reduced capabilities (red-cap). Which technological innovations do you think are valuable to you and what are your plans?

Eng. AlMufadda: In terms of the most valuable use case for the Saudi market, I believe that passive IoT has the potential to create massive new blue ocean opportunities for operators.

For example, passive IoT devices can operate without a battery or external power source, making them ideal for applications that require long battery life or are difficult to access for maintenance, such as environmental monitoring systems.

IoT will certainly play a pivotal role in our day-to-day operations across a wide range of sectors. At Zain KSA, we are expanding into a range of adjacent markets, including financial technology through Tamam Financing, and cloud computing through Zain Cloud, which obtained the highest cloud computing rating from the Communications, Space & Technology Commission, making it the preferred cloud services partner in KSA. We believe 5G-advanced will accelerate innovation in these fields and pave the way for the wide-scale adoption of fintech solutions while also enabling us to expand our 5G ecosystem and deliver scalable and hyper-personalized experiences for our users of all segments. This will support our strategy to enhance service inclusion and empower a knowledge-based society.

As for red-cap, it has a wide range of applications, including smart wearables, industrial wireless sensors and video surveillance use cases. We consider it an alternative solution to LTE technology, where legacy LTE IoT connections can be adapted to red-cap, releasing the load on the LTE network and accelerating the LTE spectrum evolution toward 5G. The low-complexity 5G red-cap technologies will further drive cost-effective automation at the level of industries. This also will lead to improved spectrum efficiency and cost savings.

MWL: The 5G-Advanced standard will be frozen next year and the first wave of deployments will soon be launched. How can we work with other operators and industry partners to accelerate the development of the 5G-Advanced industry?

Eng. Al Mufadda: As we all know, the 5G-Advanced era is upon us, and it will change the way we live, the way we interact and work.

Zain KSA’s 5G network, the largest in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at the time of launch, currently covers 53 cities with more than 5000 towers. In 2022, we launched Saudi Arabia’s first 5G Stand-Alone network and enhanced our cloud services and products portfolio. Today, we’re excited to contribute to accelerating the adoption of 5G-Advanced in Saudi Arabia. We believe the technology can help us create new business models, drive innovation and further improve the overall customer experience.

At Zain KSA, we’re glad to announce that we’re joining the GSMA 5G Futures Community, where we can access the latest industry insights, and share knowledge and best practices in the 5G-Advanced field, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with other members of the alliance to drive 5G-Advanced innovation and adoption across the industry.

At Zain, we’re committed to providing our retail and enterprise customers with the best experience to support their growth on many levels. And by utilizing the power of 5G-Advanced, we will achieve this goal and more.