Page 12 - SAMENA ELITE - Jan-Mar 2024

ARTICLE
12 JAN-MAR 2024

OBSERVATIONS BY SAMENA COUNCIL

Making FWA-Broadband

Possible in a Fiber-Broadband

Dominated Market

Transformation of home wireless Huawei, and has achieved 98.5% 5G a significant turning point in their
connectivity through fixed wireless population coverage across the UAE. journey as the product differentiation
offerings is on the rise in the UAE; a was moved from “Technology
market that ranks at number one for du's introduction of the Fixed Wireless position” base to “Value-proposition
the highest Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Access (FWA) service has marked a base”. With 5G, du enhanced data
penetration at more than 98%, which pivotal moment in the UAE's home speeds and reduced latency,
exceeds penetration levels in highly internet market. In a landscape ensuring an even more remarkable
fiberized markets of Asia Pacific. dominated by triple play packages, user experience. This move laid the
the absence of options catering to groundwork for targeting a premium
Etisalat UAE, the telecoms pillar of the individuals seeking, for example, market segment that values a
e& Group and a globally-recognized standalone home internet for OTT comprehensive and high-speed
enabler of digital transformation in content consumption was glaring. internet experience.
the region, has consistently been a Recognizing this untapped market,
leading force in FTTH penetration in du strategically positioned itself by
du's introduction of the
the country, setting a benchmark in crafting a unique value-proposition
the global telecom industry. tailored to meet the specific needs of Fixed Wireless Access
this underserved segment. (FWA) service has marked
Given that the UAE is known for its a pivotal moment in
advanced telecommunications and By providing a dedicated home inter-
the UAE's home internet
fiber infrastructure, for other play- net solution at an affordable cost, du
market. In a landscape
ers, especially du, this has, however, not only addressed a critical gap in
dominated by triple play
posed a unique challenge in innova- the market but also demonstrated a
tion and differentiated offerings. keen understanding of evolving con- packages, the absence
sumer preferences. The success of of options catering to
Industry observations indicate that this value-proposition was not merely individuals seeking, for
overcoming the preference for in creating a new service but in fun-
example, standalone home
fiber-optic connections in a mar- damentally changing the dynamics
internet for OTT content
ket like the UAE has required du to of the home internet industry.
consumption was glaring.
strategically position the advan-
tages and innovations of its wireless du's ability to identify and fulfill the Recognizing this untapped
solution, ensuring it addressed the unmet needs of a niche audience market, du strategically
needs and expectations of customers not only garnered a loyal customer positioned itself by crafting
accustomed to reliable fiber broad- base but also set a precedent
a unique value-proposition
band. This is for an operator, which for adapting to shifting market
tailored to meet the specific
has already launched a 5G Stand- demands. In February 2022, du
needs of this underserved
alone (SA) network, brought to life the made a strategic move to upgrade
world's first 5G-Advanced demon- their Home Wireless product to 5G segment.
stration Villa in collaboration with technology. This transition marked

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