In tandem with the ITU CxO meeting, hosted by Telecom Review, Hasan Al Shemeili, Head of Infrastructure Technology Planning, du, spoke on behalf of the company as one of the co-hosts of the event.
How did du’s network performance progress in 2023? What is the strategy to keep the momentum growing?
2023 was another successful year for du. The company has invested more than AED 1.5 billion in the infrastructure. As a result, we have achieved 98.5% 5G population coverage across the entire UAE.
In Q3 2023, du was the first operator in the world to launch the 5G-Advanced villa, demonstrating different type of use cases. We managed to aggregrate different kind of frequencies: 3.5 Ghz, 2.6 Ghz and mmWave to achieve 10 Gbps speed.
Additionally, in Q2 2023, we were recognized by a third-party independent vendor as a leader in the UAE for voice application experience as well as 5G reach, 5G availability and 5G gaming experience.
It’s worth noting that this year, 5G contributed to 60% of our data traffic, which means a better throughput and better customer experience.
To keep the momentum growing, we have clear objectives, plans, and targets, which are in sync and aligned with our current vision to be one of the best and top operators across the world.
What is the importance of co-hosting and participating in the ITU CxO meeting? How will du continue to contribute to the telecom industry in the Middle East?
Attending and participating in the ITU CxO meeting empowers us to contribute by shaping future technologies, influencing policies and exchanging views on industrial priorities and standardization. At the same time, it will keep us updated about ICT developments.
As of today, du is considered one of the top operators in MENA in leading technology innovation towards 6G.
From your perspective, what connectivity demands will be dominant in 2024 and beyond? How will du innovate its technical capabilities to cater with these?
5G FWA will continue in 2024. We are also expecting a huge demand in Internet of Things (IoT) across various sectors such as healthcare and smart homes. Edge computing and the demand for low latency and faster data processing is expected to rise in 2024.
To cater to these demands, du will continue its investment in 5G and 5G Advanced. Also, du will accelerate digital transformation in order to create value and efficiency.
