Ericsson, stc sign five-year deal to upgrade Saudi mobile networks
Ericsson has signed a five-year Master Frame Agreement with Saudi operator stc to upgrade and expand the kingdom’s mobile infrastructure. The deal covers 5G hardware and software, cloud-native systems and AI tools, and builds on the companies’ earlier work together on Saudi Arabia’s first 5G network in 2019.
Stc will use Ericsson’s technology to speed up 5G rollout, introduce standalone 5G, 5G-Advanced and massive MIMO, and add features such as network slicing to tailor connectivity for different consumer and enterprise uses. The partnership is pitched as supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, including preparation for 6G and self-optimising networks, while stc positions the move as part of its plan to create a more scalable and resilient network and to strengthen the country’s digital economy. Ericsson has already made Riyadh the base for its Africa and Middle East operations.
More from Telecoms
Vodacom Lesotho is putting more than US$40 million (about LSL 700 million) into upgrading its network and expanding coverage across the country. The o...
Huawei is telling telecom operators to rebuild their networks around artificial intelligence as the sector moves past the mobile internet phase into w...
Orange Tunisie has begun offering satellite broadband in Tunisia using capacity from Eutelsat, under an earlier agreement between the two companies. T...
At MWC Barcelona 2026, GlobalData analyst Andy Hicks argued that voice still matters in the 5G era, but will only regain a central place in telco reve...
Botswana and five other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have agreed to cut and align mobile roaming charges under the One Netw...
Satellite communications firm ST Engineering iDirect has entered a strategic partnership with African satellite engineering and service provider Q-KON...