Batelco and Ericsson have agreed to collaborate on next-generation 5G technologies and innovations, such as Voice over New Radio, enhanced charging systems, cloud-native 5G core, and NB-IoT for smart city development, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). In a joint statement, the companies said, “This latest MoU is part of Batelco’s efforts to enhance its network capabilities to achieve future goals for 5G technology, in addition to supporting development programs for new use cases that highlight the potential of 5G for consumers and enterprises”.
The Memorandum of Understanding will encompass collaboration on Voice over New Radio (VoNR) and sophisticated charging systems, which will improve Batelco’s real-time convergent charging and allow the development of new IoT devices. A cloud-native 5G core and 5G Standalone (SA) solution are also included in the agreement. Batelco and Ericsson will focus on NB-IoT because it allows for expanded coverage and longer battery life for ultra-low complexity devices, enabling smart city concepts with features like smart metering, air quality monitoring, and building management.
Batelco will be able to strengthen its enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) capabilities as a result of the agreement, according to the partners, and meet the significant surge in data traffic that comes with automation and growing Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) applications in the country. Batelco will be able to provide immersive media and cloud gaming experiences because of it. The MoU will also provide the groundwork for the deployment of 5G mmWave, which has a lot of potential for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), gaming, and industrial applications because of its larger bandwidth, and higher data rates, and longer range capabilities.
