Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has selected Huawei to deploy a pre-commercial LTE network in Saudi Arabia. In the first phase of the field trials, the network has achieved peak downlink speeds of 100 Mbps per user on commercial LTE data cards. The pre-commercial LTE network is expected to complete its rollout by the end of 2010, covering major metropolitan areas, such as Riyadh and Dammam.

Huawei, a leader in providing next-generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world, today announced that it has been appointed by Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the leading telecom operator in Middle East, to deploy the Middle East's largest pre-commercial LTE network in Saudi Arabia. 

The first phase of the project has been delivered successfully, offering peak downlink data rates of up to 100Mb/s per user with commercial LTE data cards in the field. This pre-commercial LTE network is expected to complete its roll out by the end of 2010, covering major metropolitan areas such as Riyadh and Dammam. The network has been tailored to improve user experience, decrease cost per bit and increase spectrum efficiency. 

In addition, Huawei has deployed its industry-leading IP microwave products of RTN900 series into STC's LTE backhaul, which are capable of fully supporting the bandwidth demands of commercial LTE usage now, and in the future. 

Dr. Zeyad Al-Otaibi, CTO of STC, commented on this partnership, saying: "We are pleased to collaborate with Huawei on this LTE project, which will allow STC to better understand this emerging technology and allow us to offer our customers next generation mobile broadband services in the future." 

Ying Weimin, President of LTE Product Line, Huawei, said: "Huawei projects data services will increase 500 to 1000 times in the next decade. With surging demand for data applications, the entire industry is facing the significant challenge of how to effectively deploy and operate a profitable mobile broadband network. What we have accomplished in building this LTE network, together with STC, demonstrates that it is indeed possible to develop and operate a mobile broadband network that delivers the quality and connection speeds necessary to satisfy user demand, while containing operational expenditures that drive profitability. This represents a significant step forward for the entire industry." 

Worldwide, Huawei has deployed over 60 LTE commercial and trial networks. Huawei is one of the few vendors in the industry that has completed an interoperability test between the LTE commercial network and the LTE commercial terminal. Huawei is also one of the leading LTE patent holders globally.

About STC 

STC is the leading national provider of telecommunication services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company works continuously to fulfill and satisfy market requirements, keeping pace with emerging technologies in the telecommunications sector in order to satisfy its customers' needs. 

In the last few years, STC has gone beyond its domestic borders to the international markets, forming a network of businesses and investments in a number of GCC countries, Asia, and Africa. The company now has an extensive footprint in Kuwait, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and South Africa, which has enabled STC to serve a greater number of customers globally. For further information about STC, please visit: http://www.stc.com.sa