Nokia, CST, Mobily, Zain, and ACES have successfully completed the initial 5G Standalone (SA) indoor sharing trial within Saudi Arabia.
In a significant leap forward for telecommunications in Saudi Arabia, Nokia, along with Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST), ACES NH, Mobily, and Zain Saudi, have completed an industry first pilot deployment of 5G Standalone (5G SA) indoor coverage.
The collaboration utilises shared indoor spectrum and active sharing techniques to efficiently deliver 5G coverage in low to medium traffic buildings. Mikko Lavanti, Senior Vice President for Mobile Networks at Nokia, stated that this new approach gives stakeholders a powerful tool to boost indoor 5G adoption without complex auctions or spectrum refarming.
The pilot deployment used sharable indoor spectrum on the 4.0-4.1 GHz band and active sharing techniques. This allows multiple operators to access the same spectrum resources simultaneously indoors, avoiding the need for dedicated spectrum allocation per operator inside buildings.
The Nokia Shikra platform, which is private wireless ready, hosting dedicated enterprise 5G cores, delivers secure Industry 4.0 and campus network services alongside public connectivity. Nokia's Shikra pico solutions cover multistorey buildings with uniform mid-band 5G coverage in the 4.0 GHz band.
The initiative reinforces Mobily's leadership in shaping the future of telecommunications in the Kingdom. Eng. Alaa Malki, CTO of Mobily, affirms Mobily's commitment to driving innovation, operational efficiency, and scalable 5G solutions. Similarly, Eng. Mohammed AlNujaidi, CTO of Zain KSA, emphasises Zain KSA's commitment to driving the evolution of Saudi Arabia's digital infrastructure.
The shared spectrum combined with active network sharing leads to improved utilisation of spectrum and network assets, enabling multiple operators to extend 5G services indoors effectively and efficiently across Saudi Arabia. This system eliminates the need for duplicate equipment and 4G anchors, cutting deployment costs by more than 60 percent.
Moreover, the initiative significantly enhances the customer experience in indoor environments. With mobile data traffic per smartphone projected to escalate from 29 GB per month in 2024 to about 54 GB per month by 2030, this cost-optimised and scalable indoor 5G solution is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting the growing demand for high-speed connectivity.
The innovative solution has been recognised by the Small Cell Forum, receiving the Small Cells World Summit 2025 Award for "Outstanding Progress in Enabling Neutral Host and Multi-Operator Business Models". This award underscores the potential of this collaboration to revolutionise indoor 5G coverage across the Kingdom.
The collaboration delivers reliable, high-quality 5G for enterprises and consumers, accelerating and advancing the Kingdom's smart infrastructure development for a knowledge-based society and digital economy.
The collaboration between Nokia and various sector entities, including Mobily and Zain Saudi, utilizes technology such as 5G Standalone and software solutions like the Nokia Shikra platform to efficiently deliver high-speed indoor 5G coverage. This initiative, which employs shared indoor spectrum and active network-sharing techniques, aims to enhance the user experience in indoor environments while optimizing costs and boosting the adoption of indoor 5G services across Saudi Arabia. The innovative solution, recognized by the Small Cell Forum, has the potential to revolutionize indoor 5G coverage, contributing significantly to the advancement of Saudi Arabia's digital infrastructure and digital economy.
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