Ericsson expanded a partnership with Kazakhstan player Kcell, signing a multi-year agreement to provide radio equipment to boost the operator’s 5G deployment.

In a statement the vendor explained the pair will collaborate on projects designed to push digital transformation in Kazakhstan over the years to 2030, alongside developing 5G.

Ericsson will supply 5G RAN technology in areas encompassing 50 per cent of Kazakhstan’s territory, including the cities of Almaty and Shymkent, which have been identified as key locations.

The companies are targeting opening 5G “to a significant portion of the population” in urban and rural areas.

Among potential use cases for the technology cited by the pair was fixed wireless access, with plans to also explore the possibility of using the new network infrastructure for services including AR/VR, drones, industrial IoT and robots.

Ericsson and Kcell have worked together for 25 years, with the new deal lauded as marking a “significant milestone towards positioning Kazakhstan at the forefront of Eurasia telecommunications innovation”, by Ericsson head of Southeast Mediterranean and Eurasia Andrea Missori.