AIS Thailand Completes 5G SA Roaming Connection to Stc Kuwait With BICS

Thailand’s mobile operator, Advanced Info Service (AIS), has announced Asia’s first 5G Standalone (SA) roaming connection to STC Kuwait in partnership with the international connectivity provider BICS. It is the first of its kind to offer a direct connection with AIS SEPP (Secure Edge Protection Proxy) and a full-service 5G SA Service Hub to STC Kuwait, as noted in the official release.

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Also Read: AIS Completes 5G RedCap Commercial Test With Huawei in Bangkok

Asia’s First 5G SA Roaming Connection

According to BICS, the successful connection enabled AIS and STC Kuwait to deliver an international 5G roaming connection carrying data, texts and calls using a 5G Mobile Core Network. Previously, 5G connections in the region used Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G technology and were routed as 4G/LTE traffic in core networks.

BICS’ Path to 5G SA

BICS said this is the first in a series of 5G Standalone (SA) accomplishments. The company previously completed the first-ever connection in a lab environment back in 2021, followed by the first global 5G SA roaming connection between the Middle East and Europe in 2022.

Also Read: World’s First Live 5G SA Roaming Connection Executed by Stc Kuwait and BICS

Enhanced Security and Performance

The official release noted that this latest successful roaming connection surpasses the standard requirements, incorporating an additional security layer on top of the SEPP protection established by operators.

All traffic is sent from the operators’ SEPPs through BICS’ new 5G SA Service Hub, and BICS adds data analytics, business intelligence, quality monitoring, and a robust layer of fraud protection for the 5G roaming traffic exchanged between operators around the world.