Aramco to launch national network for industrial IoT & edge AI
450 MHz industrial network covers over 50 industrial zones nationwide
#SaudiArabia #IoT - Saudi Aramco digital technology services subsidiary Aramco Digital is getting set to launch the Kingdom’s national industrial communications network operating in the 450 MHz band. Designed to support industrial IoT and edge AI via secure, highly reliable industrial connectivity across Saudi Arabia, the network covers over 50 industrial zones. The launch will include a portfolio of 450 MHz-based industrial digital solutions featuring smart radios with AI capabilities, enhanced sensing technologies, extended battery life and real-time data processing, enabling Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications including asset monitoring, fleet tracking, environmental sensing, smart surveillance and infrastructure control.
SO WHAT? - Aramco’s new 450 MHz network is Saudi Arabia’s first nationwide industrial-grade communications infrastructure independent of public telecommunications networks. The network addresses reliability and security requirements that commercial mobile networks cannot meet for critical industrial operations leveraging IIoT and edge AI. The 450 MHz spectrum’s superior range and building penetration characteristics enable fewer base stations whilst providing secure connectivity for automation and intelligent systems across vital sectors including energy, utilities and industrial facilities.
Here are some key points about the new 450 MHz industrial network:
Saudi Aramco digital technology services subsidiary of state-owned Saudi Aramco Aramco Digital is ready to launch Saudi Arabia’s national industrial communications network, according to national media agency SPA. The network operates in the 450 MHz band to support sectors requiring continuous operations and dependable communications.
The industrial communications network covers over 50 industrial zones across the Kingdom, providing secure and highly reliable industrial connectivity independent of public telecommunications infrastructure for critical assets and facilities requiring mission-critical communications.
Aramco Digital will also soon announce a portfolio of 450 MHz-based industrial digital solutions including tailored connectivity packages and smart radios combining rugged industrial-grade design with AI capabilities, enhanced sensing technologies, extended battery life and real-time device-level data processing.
The network will enable Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and edge AI applications spanning asset condition monitoring, fleet tracking, air quality sensing, smart video surveillance, smart metering, lighting control, infrastructure management and industrial mobility solutions across sectors.
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) awarded Aramco a Specialised Radio Network Licence in the 450 MHz spectrum band in 2024 to establish private enterprise networks supporting Industry 4.0 activities.
Initial operational deployment took place in 2025 combining AI-powered crowd management, secure communications and integrated digital infrastructure for field operations, demonstrating network readiness in high-density demanding environments before nationwide rollout.
The 450 MHz band, designated as LTE Band 31, offers superior range, building penetration and cost-effectiveness compared to higher frequencies, requiring fewer base stations for large-area coverage with deep signal penetration for indoor and underground access.
ZOOM OUT - Aramco Digital and Qualcomm Technologies announced strategic collaboration last year to develop, deploy and commercialise advanced edge AI industrial IoT technologies and solutions. The partnership combines Qualcomm Technologies' expertise in on-device AI, wireless connectivity and power-efficient computing with Aramco Digital's 450 MHz 5G industrial network to develop solutions including worker assistants, predictive maintenance, visual anomaly detection and asset management. The collaboration builds on September 2024's joint announcement by the two companies of the world's first processors with native support for 5G in 450 MHz spectrum. Qualcomm's QCM8550 and QCM6490 IoT processors are designed to connect millions of intelligent edge devices including industrial handhelds, ruggedized smartphones, robots, drones and sensors.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Excellent breakdown of this strategic infrastructure move. The insight that Aramco's decoupling IIoT from public networks creates a proprietary industrial stack competitors can't access is key here. Most AI discourse focuses on processing, but reilable connectivity at scale is actualy harder. This spectrum choice could become their moat as the region races toward Industry 4.0.