Saudi operator STC has announced that it agreed a number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) at the Leap Conference in Riyadh. It had already said it would set up a new company specialising in data centre hosting, international and regional connectivity with an initial capital of SAR 100 million. It has now declared that it will invest USD 1 billion in establishing a hub for the Middle East and North Africa region.
Another announcement is a factory to localise data centres in KSA in partnership with Huawei. STC and Huawei agreed on 5G cooperation, too, including a 5G competition for students leading to certification, and a laboratory model for 5G equipment in education.
Other deals are a cooperation with Ericsson for STCās 5G core network and business support systems, and an agreement with Microsoft Arabia to develop areas of innovation, cloud technology strategies and 5G products.
STC has signed a deal with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing to enhance governance and strategic cooperation in ICT, and to improve smart city and digital initiatives.
At Leap, STC showcased its provision of communication technologies to a telemedicine centre in the Jazan region, enabling remote appointments with doctors and home health management. STC demonstrated medical IoT services such as using personal smart sensors and transferring patient data from home to the clinic or hospital.
In its Leap pavilion, STC presented 5G port technology, holograms for remote university education and its ā5G cartā of services including smart city and digital home products, too.
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