Umniah has announced that it will shut down its second-generation (2G) network in the near future in order to upgrade and invest in its existing 3G and 4G networks, following the example of a number of international telecommunications companies. This move, which is a first by a telecom in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, is directly in line with the company’s strategy to invest innovation in order to enrich and advance the experiences of its customers.
According to Umniah, its 3G and 4G networks are well equipped to provide all its subscribers, those with new smartphones as well as older versions, with the many advantages provided by these technologies, including better quality calls, faster data, smoother transmission between voice and data, better coverage and greater stability of the network in general.
Umniah CEO Ziad Shatara spoke of his pleasure at Umniah being recognized as the first Arab company in MENA region transition away from the 2G network, saying, “We continue our pledge to drive forward through innovation, offering our subscribers the latest and most advanced solutions in the global telecommunications sector, which enrich the performance of our network while simultaneously providing unparalleled experiences.” Shatara went on to add, “Our focus on our 3G and 4G networks will allow us to exponentially expand the available resources, pairing them with more advanced technologies that improve the quality of our network and give our subscribers a more comprehensive experience, ultimately ensuring that everyone communicates smoothly at all times.”\
Over the past decade, mobile phone technologies have revolutionized the foundations and capabilities of mobile devices and have witnessed significant developments. Although 2G technology was developed and popularized in the 1990s, it has since been surpassed by higher-quality protocols that provide better performance and capabilities at all levels.
3G and 4G networks offer important advancements in terms of providing Internet services to the subscribers, shifting them seamlessly from voice calls and text messages only to the ability of communicating with audio and video. Smartphone users can use features to access websites on their devices, paving the way for the an increase in the use of smartphones due to their larger screens that offer the ability to stream content remotely.
Existing Umniah subscribers will be able replace their old devices, which do not support 3G and 4G networks, with more effective and innovative ones.