Saudi Telecom Company (STC) aims to be the first operator in Saudi Arabia to launch 4G services, after contracting Alcatel-Lucent to roll out an LTE network.

 

The operator plans to deploy LTE in eleven major cities initially, claiming the set-up will be the first of its kind in the country. Alcatel-Lucent will handle rollout of the network in the north of the country, and is also pooling content and applications for the 4G service.

 

Abdulrahman Al-Azzam, country senior officer at the infrastructure firm, says the contract is a “big win.” The agreement also covers management of the sites Alcatel-Lucent deploys, he adds.