Nokia speeds Asiacell’s Iraqi mobile network with microwave and services

Asiacell get microwave packet network built by Nokia

Wavence microwave packet radio maximises capacity and minimises latency with fiber-like performance

Asiacell Telecom has appointed Finnish equipment maker Nokia to build a new microwave network to boost the Iraqi mobile operator’s network capacity and cut its latency. Nokia will replace or modernise legacy microwave kit and create 3,000 network links across in Iraq over the next five years.

Nokia will install equipment from its Wavence microwave packet radio range, including its ultra-broadband transceivers which it claims are capable of fibre-like connectivity in areas that fibre can’t reach. Asiacell will benefit from a more sophisticated network with a greater range of options, allowing it to cater for its subscribers ever-increasing demands for data.

Asiacell can create new services

Asiacell will use its existing Nokia network services platforms (NSP) to manage the complete set of Nokia transport equipment. This enables quick commissions of equipment, fine-tuning of the network and the automation of operations. This speeds up the integration of microwave with Asiacell’s existing network.

In January 2021 Asiacell selected Nokia to provide nationwide network optimisation for two years. Microwave network modernisation allows Asiacell to provide differentiated services and invent new services for customers, said Rima Manna, head of the middle east market unit at Nokia MEA. The Wavence range is designed to help clients like Asiacell to upgrade to the next generation of technology more easily, said Manna. 

“Network performance and end-user experience have been our top priority and Nokia is helping us to achieve this,” said Asiacell CEO Amer Sunna.