Page 66 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

make it one of the fastest, smartest and
best-connected places in the world during
the global mega event.

At around 20 times faster
than 4G and with ultra-
low latency, 5G technology
will enable users to stream
live 4K resolution video
anywhere at any time, with
virtually no lag.

In the same year, a number of strategic
partnerships were signed with global
technology companies to carry out trials
and implement advanced technologies
and solutions on the network. A series of
tests were carried out in the infrastructure This was also the year Expo 2020 was requirements. The commercial fixed
to gauge the extent of 5G readiness and announced as the first major commercial devices and services were provided to
get an insight into the upgrades required customer to be connected and access 5G consumers in this phase. Etisalat was
to launch the 5G network first in the region. services in MEASA region. This supports aiming to achieve a download speed of
The goal was to provide access to high Expo 2020's goal to be one of the most 5Gbps for wireless access and more than
data transfer speeds to get the network connected places on Earth, both physically 1.5Gbps for CPE (customer premises
ready for data heavy applications and and virtually. equipment) devices.
content to be broadcasted across media
platforms during the Expo 2020. Another major milestone for Etisalat and
Another significant milestone in 2016 was the telecom industry was the launch of the The government’s push
the successful completion of the first live first commercial 5G wireless network in the for innovation makes UAE
5G experiment using millimeter waves UAE becoming the first telecom operator in an incredible destination
(mmWave). This showcase was the first the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
of its kind in the MENA region with Etisalat region to achieve this technological for everything digital. The
becoming the first telco globally to test milestone and set an industry benchmark. combination of Etisalat’s
speed at 36 Gbps on a 5G network. This Etisalat was the first operator to have a
was followed with another global milestone fully developed commercial 5G network vast experience in the
in 2017 with a speed showcase of 71Gbps available to provide gigabit internet field of connectivity with
setting a new global record in data transfer services to its customers. The network enhanced agility for
speed using e-band and massive MIMO will fuel enterprises digital transformation,
technology. IoT, smart cities and the fourth industrial digital innovation led to
revolution. the formation of Etisalat
Early in 2018, Etisalat set global
benchmarks in 5G in technology and The foundation of this commercial launch Digital. The prime aim
on the network. Etisalat successfully was laid in 2017, where Etisalat was one of of the unit is to enable
conducted a 5G trial with outdoor mobility. the operators to launch a pre-commercial
The trial demonstrated 5G capabilities 5G network in certain areas of the country digital transformation of
in a real world environment over a live demonstrating high-speed use cases enterprise and government
network, including tests on speed, latency in addition to the low latency of the 5G customers.
and beam steering. The 5G trial system technology.
used 800MHz of spectrum in the 15GHz
band, demonstrated over 20 times greater In the first phase of the 5G launch, fixed At around 20 times faster than 4G and
performance than what was currently used wireless services (fixed and internet with ultra-low latency, 5G technology will
in 4G networks. The trial also achieved an services) was provided at selected enable users to stream live 4K resolution
aggregate site throughput of more than locations in UAE, which was gradually video anywhere at any time, with virtually
24Gbps a significant improvement over expanded to other parts of the country no lag.
current 4G networks. depending on consumer demand and

66 JUNE-JULY 2020