VEON and Airspan Sign MoU to Collaborate on Air-to-Land Network Solutions Supporting Ukraine's Resilience

Core Viewpoint - VEON Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airspan Networks to enhance Ukraine's communications infrastructure through innovative network solutions and collaboration [1][2]. Group 1: Collaboration Details - The partnership aims to evaluate technical and commercial synergies for resilient network solutions in Ukraine, focusing on both public and private sectors [2][3]. - The collaboration will explore the development, deployment, and testing of advanced wireless technologies, including Open RAN and Air-to-Land network solutions [3][4]. Group 2: Investment Commitment - VEON and its subsidiary Kyivstar have committed to investing USD 1 billion from 2023 to 2027 to rebuild Ukraine's digital infrastructure, which includes upgrading mobile networks with advanced capabilities [4][5]. - This investment will focus on maintaining connectivity through technologies such as Open RAN and direct-to-cell satellite connectivity [4][5]. Group 3: Expertise and Experience - Airspan Networks has significant expertise in building Open RAN networks, having constructed the largest geographical Open RAN network in the U.S. and the first nationwide 4/5G ORAN network in Japan [5][6]. - Kyivstar has recently launched a laboratory with Rakuten Symphony to test cloud-native RAN software, further enhancing its capabilities in network innovation [6]. Group 4: Company Backgrounds - VEON operates across six countries, providing digital services to nearly 160 million customers and is listed on NASDAQ [7]. - Airspan Networks is recognized as a leader in Open RAN, having shipped over 1 million radios globally to more than 1,000 customers [7].