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Aramco Digital, the digital technology services subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, is preparing to launch the Kingdom’s first nationwide industrial-grade communications network, operating in the 450 MHz spectrum band, to support Industrial IoT (IIoT) and edge AI–driven digital transformation across Saudi Arabia’s critical sectors.
The new 450 MHz industrial communications network will provide secure, resilient and highly reliable connectivity across more than 50 industrial zones nationwide, enabling mission-critical digital operations that cannot depend on public telecom infrastructure. Designed specifically for energy, utilities, industrial facilities, transportation and smart infrastructure, the network delivers the performance, availability and security required for Industry 4.0 and national-scale industrial automation.
The 450 MHz spectrum—designated as LTE Band 72—offers superior coverage range, deep indoor and underground penetration, and cost-efficient wide-area deployment, allowing fewer base stations to support vast industrial landscapes while ensuring stable connectivity for fixed and mobile assets.
Unlike commercial mobile networks, Aramco Digital’s industrial network is purpose-built for operational technology (OT) environments, providing:
High availability and deterministic performance
Enhanced cybersecurity and data sovereignty
Independence from public telecom networks
Optimized support for automation, sensing and AI systems
This makes it ideally suited for critical industrial operations where downtime, latency or data exposure is unacceptable.
Alongside the network launch, Aramco Digital will introduce a portfolio of 450 MHz-based industrial digital solutions, including:
Smart industrial radios with AI capabilities
Advanced sensing and environmental monitoring
Extended battery life for field operations
Real-time edge data processing
These solutions will support a wide range of IIoT and edge AI use cases, including:
Asset condition and predictive maintenance
Fleet and workforce tracking
Environmental and air-quality sensing
Smart video surveillance
Smart metering and lighting control
Infrastructure and facility management
Industrial mobility and worker safety
In 2024, the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) awarded Aramco Digital a Specialised Radio Network Licence in the 450 MHz band, authorizing the deployment of private enterprise networks to support Industry 4.0 and digital industrialization.
The network’s capabilities were validated during initial operational deployments in 2025, which combined AI-powered crowd management, secure communications and integrated digital infrastructure for demanding field operations—demonstrating its readiness for nationwide rollout.
Aramco Digital is also advancing its industrial ecosystem through a strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, announced in 2024. The partnership brings together Qualcomm’s expertise in on-device AI, wireless connectivity and power-efficient computing with Aramco Digital’s 450 MHz 5G industrial network.
This collaboration supports advanced applications such as:
AI-powered worker assistants
Visual anomaly detection
Predictive maintenance
Asset and infrastructure intelligence
At the core of these solutions are Qualcomm’s QCM8550 and QCM6490 IoT processors, the world’s first processors with native 5G support for the 450 MHz band, enabling massive-scale deployment of rugged handhelds, industrial smartphones, robots, drones and sensors.
With the launch of the 450 MHz national industrial communications network, Aramco Digital is establishing Saudi Arabia’s first dedicated, industrial-grade digital backbone, enabling secure, intelligent and always-on connectivity for the Kingdom’s most vital assets.
This milestone reinforces Saudi Arabia’s leadership in industrial digitalization, energy technology and smart infrastructure, while creating a powerful foundation for AI-driven, autonomous and connected industries across the Kingdom.
