Guarantees 1Gbps in Kuwait’s palatial homes
Zain is to be the first telecom operator in Kuwait to offer subscribers the option of home broadband via Fibre-to-the-Room (FTTR). “We are preparing to commercially launch the service soon after finalising all the official regulatory requirements,” said Nawaf Al-Gharabally Chief Technical Officer for Zain Kuwait and CTO for the Zain Group.
Zain claims it can guarantee subscribers an ultra-fast and stable Internet connection of up to 1 Gbps all around their property, which is a particular challenge in some of the palatial homes of the kingdom, with their multiple rooms, floors and basements. FTTR allows customers to enjoy digital entertainment services at the highest possible quality with no interruptions, said Zain. The service is provided by Chinese comms equipment vendor Huawei.
FTTR will complement Zain’s existing Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) service and expand optical fibres to each room and floor of a subscriber’s property, in a region in which homes all have a unique design and demand high-quality execution. “There are two typical archetypes seen throughout Kuwait City and the region,” according to housing designer Studio Madhou, “but as Kuwait City moves towards drastic and rapid modernisation, the architectural values are starting to disintegrate.” The one consistent theme, whatever dimensions are chosen for their city plot, is that they all make abundant use of native stone and white concrete.
Since FTTR supports Wi-Fi 6 that will help guarantee consistent speeds of up to 1 Gbps across each house, whatever challenges the peculiarities of internal shape and the choice of building materials may present. Nawaf Al-Gharabally Chief Technical Officer for Zain Kuwait and CTO for the Zain Group promised a “seamless Internet experience in every room and floor”.
Zain’s network has successfully passed all operational tests to assess its readiness and Gharabally said that he was confident in its technical capacity to operate this service at the highest quality. “This is yet another technical feat that proves Zain’s leadership and capabilities in bringing the latest and most advanced technologies to the Kuwaiti market,” said Gharabally.
The Kuwait installation is in line with Zain Group’s strategic direction across the Gulf region, said Gharabally, citing work in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as a ‘clear reflection of Zain’s efforts in leading tech innovation across the Middle East region’. In May Zain Bahrain and local systems integrator LSS Technologies began collaborating on a 5G by streetlight (5GBS) system to connect Bahrain Bay, a first for the region. Zain said it will add comms to the infrastructure without affecting the delivery of electricity. In a statement it promised to install Zain 5G broadcasting units by blending seamlessly with the city’s electrical infrastructure.
In June 2019, Zain was the first operator to offer 5G technology in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, providing the Kuwaiti market with complete nationwide coverage across all areas, according to The Kuwait Times. It designed the first integrated network for 5G services and claims it transformed the telecom sector across the country and region. In May 2022, Zain launched voice over 5G services, becoming the first telecom operator globally to commercially launch Vo5G with nationwide coverage in all of Kuwait’s areas and on the all-new Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup.
“Zain plays a leading role in pushing forward the digital transformation vision of the region, and we always seek to adopt technologies that contribute to building a powerful and sustainable feature in our markets,” said Gharabally. “This is why we continue to explore and invest in home broadband technologies to achieve our customers’ aspirations.”