Saudi Arabian operator Zain is going big on fixed wireless access for its broadband customers and is using Nokia kit to get the job done.

Zain KSA and Nokia already work with each other, but it’s still a handy win to be chosen for an emerging technology such as FWA. 60,000 FastMile 5G Gateway 3.1 units will be rolled out in KSA over the course of 2021. They will apparently be the first to incorporate eSIMs, to make setup easier, and will support Wi-Fi 6, which is nice.

“Rolling out our new 5G fixed wireless access routers comes in line with our digital transformation and 5G expansion strategy reiterating our role in serving the Kingdom’s society,” said Eng. AbdulRahman bin Hamad AlMufadda, CTOI at Zain KSA.

“Our mission from the start was to strengthen the 5G experience in the Kingdom into two levels: horizontally, concerned with spreading the 5G network across the largest possible geographical scale. Vertically, through 5G fixed wireless access solutions to enable homes and offices with the best and most reliable broadband experience available.”

“We are happy to support Zain KSA connect more people and revolutionize the way people live and work in the Kingdom,” said Sandra Motley, President of Fixed Networks at Nokia. “Zain KSA is joining the leading operators around the world, in providing the 5G fixed wireless access to deliver a gigabit experience to consumers and businesses alike. The combination of FastMile 5G Gateways and self-optimizing mesh Wi-Fi 6 technology means that Zain KSA is delivering a new and unmatched 5G experience to everyone, at every corner in homes and offices.”

As 5G FWA becomes more widespread this year, it will be interesting to see its limitations, especially when it comes to capacity. It’s all very well providing the latest wifi mesh kit, but if the pipe feeding it is too narrow then the user experience will still be rubbish. This could be the first significant test of 5G as a novel technology.