Alcatel-Lucent to conduct LTE trials for STC

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has selected Alcatel-Lucent to conduct an end-to-end long term evolution (LTE) trial set to begin in the second half of this year.

An official statement yesterday said the trial would enable STC to test the performance of LTE-based services and assess the related business models.

"As a major operator, STC is committed to providing its customers superior service. It is clear to us that LTE has evolved to being more than just a promising technology," said Dr Zeyad Al Otaibi, STC's Vice-President Networks.

Alcatel-Lucent will be leveraging its LTE expertise to provide an end-to-end integrated solution including LTE base stations (eNodeBs), the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), IP service routing network elements as well as operation, administration and maintenance (OAM) systems. Alcatel-Lucent will also provide a range of professional services including project management, planning, installation, integration and commissioning and testing.

"This trial is a major step in the adoption of LTE technology in the Middle-East. STC can count on our technical leadership and transformation expertise to unleash LTE's full business potential," said Amr El Leithy, Head of Alcatel-Lucent's activities in Africa and the Middle East.

Alcatel-Lucent's LTE solution and services are leveraged in the majority of LTE projects being pursued by Tier 1 operators around the world.