Rakuten Symphony cloud RAN tech powers Tawal’s multi-operator indoor network

Rakuten Symphony deployed a cloud-native radio access network (RAN) to power a multi-operator shared indoor network at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in what is an apparent first for the country. The neutral host network supports 5G Standalone and future edge compute and AI-powered applications, and Tawal, the Saudi tower giant controlled by the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, plans to expand the model with Rakuten Symphony.

Rakuten Symphony helped Saudi telecom tower giant Tawal deploy a multi-operator shared indoor network powered by cloud-native radio access network RAN technologies. An apparent first for the country, the deployment took place inside the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Jeddah. Powered by Rakuten Symphony’s cloud RAN, the architecture gives operators the ability to leverage shared infrastructure while maintaining full operational independence over their respective networks. The neutral host network model is capable of supporting 5G Standalone 5G SA networks, as well as future edge compute and “AI-powered applications.” “By enabling multiple operators to run on a single intelligent infrastructure platform, we're creating a blueprint for future indoor connectivity that reduces infrastructure costs, improves sustainability, and provides a foundation for AI-powered digital services,” said Rakuten Symphony president Sharad Sriwastawa. An unnamed telecom service provider has integrated with the offering’s core network, with voice calls via standards including 5G New Radio 5G NR and Voice over Long-Term Evolution VoLTE already having taken place. Following the deployment, Tawal, which the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund controls, said it plans to expand the Neutral Host model concept with Rakuten Symphony and “enhance the efficiency of multi-operator indoor coverage solutions.” Tawal CEO Mohammed Alhakbani said, “The launch of this project represents a significant step forward in advancing shared digital infrastructure solutions in the Kingdom and reinforces Tawal’s role in enabling telecom operators to expand with greater efficiency and flexibility. Through advanced solutions that address the requirements of today’s networks, we are also ensuring readiness for emerging technologies and evolving regulations governing indoor coverage solutions.” Rakuten Symphony’s deployments in Saudi follow cloud-native 5G network deployments in Japan https://www.sdxcentral.com/news/rakuten-mobile-expands-5g-network-with-1finity-open-ran-kit/ . The open tech arm of the Japanese conglomerate worked alongside Rakuten Mobile, pairing its virtualized centralized unit/distributed unit vCU/DU technology with an open radio access network RAN kit courtesy of 1Finity.