Zain Iraq has partnered with Nokia International to develop the Holy Karbala network bringing the latest technology solutions to the region. The partnership answers the needs of city subscribers and visitors to provide a world-class mobile service in Iraq.
In line with its strategy of understanding of consumer needs, Zain Iraq has announced an agreement with the Nokia Telecom and Technology Company to expand and develop its network in holy Karbala governorate in central Iraq and Najaf city to provide the latest technology solutions.
The expansion plan, covering the entire south region, aims at optimising subscribers experience through better connectivity and coverage to meet the increasing demands and expectations of its customers inside Iraq and the visits of international roaming users throughout the year.
This partnership will allow Zain Iraq network to effectively address voice and mobile broadband requirements of 40 million expected visitors.
The announcement was part of a press conference held in the holy city of Karbala and was attended by Karbala governor Ali Al-Turaihi, the President of Karbala Provincial Council Nassif Jassem al-Khattabi, representatives from the Communication and Media Commission and VIPs.
Ali Al-Zahid, Zain Iraq CEO, revealed the volume of investment Zain Iraq has put in developing and modernising its network in Karbala, which amounted to 36 million dollars.
He said: “Our co-operation with Nokia today is part of a bigger strategy aimed at serving our subscribers both inside and outside Iraq who visit the holy religious shrines. Our investments in ICT infrastructure will contribute in improving the economy attracting investments to Karbala and developing the telecom sector.
“This is why we decided to upgrade and modernise our network in Karbala governorate to increase its bandwidth capacity– making it a ‘Golden Telecom City’. This decision was based on our deep understanding of visitors and residents needs alike.
“This initiative stems from our keenness to co-operate with local communities, stakeholders, and regulatory authorities to improve our services. Zain investment in Iraq infrastructure and network, and being here in Holy Karbala is an evidence of our confidence in the country’s economic stability, our trust and commitment in the future of Iraq, particularly Karbala, especially under the challenging circumstances we are currently facing. Our initiative should motivate other investors to follow our steps”.
He concluded his speech with a note on Zain corporate sustainability development programmes and its continuous support making a positive impact on communities and the national economy in general.
In parallel with its relentless efforts to promote Iraq’s telecommunications sector and develop it to become a leader in the region putting Iraq on the global ICT landscape, Zain Iraq has launched humanitarian and social initiatives.
Zain deploys tents on the main roads to secure the needs of the Husseini committees and processions to provide food and drink to participants and free wi-fi to communicate with their families and friends throughout the visit, in addition to humanitarian programmes designed to empower Karbala local communities by improving their lots in many aspects including education, youth empowerment and support for internally displaced persons, children and women.
“Nokia International is committed to support telecom operators by providing state-of-the-art technology innovations that will help them leverage techniques to optimise network resources and boost speeds to meet growing data demands,” said Bernard Najm, Head of Middle-East at Nokia International.
“Being a pioneer in embracing the world’s highest standards, Zain Iraq constantly strives to offer a better and enhanced experience for its subscribers. This is particularly important with the network in Karbala experiencing spikes in demand due to the increase in the number of visitors, as well as the entire southern governorates. The challenge of maintaining quality coverage during the huge traffic is answered by Nokia. Our technology comes to encounter this dramatically growing demand for internet data.”
Zain Iraq makes huge efforts to adopt various advanced technical solutions that ensure a smooth flow of data and calls and meet the increasing demand. Karbala is witnessing steady growth in the use of ICT services as a result of the high penetration of smartphones and the high use of social media platforms. The plan for expanding and upgrading the network coverage in the South region is the first phase of Zain’s integrated plan to cover all governorates of Iraq. The company has invested heavily in bringing the latest technology to Iraq in response to the growing needs of mobile subscribers.
