UAE-based telecommunications service provider ‘du’ – from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), today announced it has selected Huawei to upgrade its existing data core network using Huawei’s Cloud Packet Core (CloudEPC & CloudPCRF) to meet the growing data demands of its customers. Also, this cloud-native and distributed solution by Huawei will provide du data core network with the capability to be able to seamlessly evolve to 5G core. The announcement was made to coincide with Mobile World Congress 2018, being held during 26 February and 1 March this year.

Under this collaboration, Huawei will cloudify, modernise, expand and upgrade du’s existing mobile data core infrastructure through Huawei’s cloud native data core solution, which provides capability to carry out carrier-grade graceful scale in and scale out on demand. The solution will enable du to provide seamless data services across different verticals from consumer to enterprise customers to being also able to gear up to provide data services over the bespoke cloud across the UAE, with support of edge cloud computing capability.

The solution is able to carry all major 2G/3G/LTE and M2M traffic through a unified cloud mobile data core. In addition, this cloud-native data core will smoothly evolve to 5G to allow du to maximise its potential.

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is the foundation for achieving du’s business objectives and what customers have come to expect from du as an innovator in the UAE market. It is a key technology allowing telecom operators like du to move towards 5G with core and edge cloud computing to support Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) and network slicing offering an agile, fast and more efficient model.

Saleem AlBlooshi, Chief Infrastructure Officer, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du), said: “Huawei has been a long term strategic partner for du providing the existing evolved packet core. We are delighted to continue this relationship and extend it through this initiative”

He added: “Huawei will provide us with cloud native virtualized packet core network thus gearing du to be ready for the state-of-the-art 5G core network with network slicing to serve enterprise verticals as well as consumers. This will enable du to have a flexible and automated core network thus adding resilience to the network and reducing time-to-market for new services.”

Add Chen Zhou, President of Huawei Cloud Core Network Solution Marketing and Solution Sales:” As a long-term strategic partner of du, Huawei is offering state of art cloud core solution to enhance network elasticity and agility, and help du accelerate future 5G processes. Through CloudEPC and CloudPCRF quickly launch experience, du can easily build multiple cloud scenarios and vertical services.”