At the 17th edition of Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, Middle East telecom leaders join hands on stage to celebrate the first year of 5G-Advanced – an initiative launched by Telecom Review to celebrate regional leadership in 5G technology and ambition in 5G-A.
Panel entitled “Middle East Joins Hands in the First Year of 5G-A” allows industry leaders to highlight their projects and plans in 5G Advanced.
How Middle East Leads the Way to 5G-Advanced
Marking the second phase of 5G, the next step in the evolution of connectivity is 5G-Advanced (5G-A). This cutting-edge technology holds the potential for even more dependable connections and accelerated speeds, forming the cornerstone of 6G. With a 10x capability, this new, globally unprecedented speed of 10 Gbps will lead to faster data transfer, ushering in a new era of high-quality streaming and seamless cloud services.
Among the new features of 5G-Advanced are improved massive MIMO, accurate timing, reduced capability, mobile extended reality and more energy-efficient networks.
Here are some of the scenarios proving how the Middle East industry players have made advanced steps in pushing the full throttle of the 5G-Advanced network in the world.
- In March 2023, etisalat by e& deployed the first 5G standalone network in the MENA region. Designed to offer a more satisfying and productive user experience, this paves the way to achieving 5G-Advanced capabilities.
- In August 2023, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) declared the triumph of Phase II in the "5G-Advanced" trials project, carried out in collaboration with UAE telecom service providers (etisalat by e& and du), it marks an advanced step towards the widespread application of the IoT by reaching speeds of 10 gigabits per second.
- In September 2023, Zain KSA has unveiled new developments on the 5G-Advanced network, in collaboration with Huawei. In pursuit of a shared objective to bring about an era of unmatched connectivity, the two companies are presently engaged in the '5.5G City Innovation Project.'
- In October 2023, du and Huawei unveiled the ground-breaking world's first 5G Advanced (5G-A) demonstration Villa. The 5G-A Villa epitomizes the seamless integration of cutting-edge technologies, offering an unparalleled smart home experience enriched with applications such as naked-eye 3D and XR, through 10Gbps networks.
- In October 2023, stc Bahrain made a a significant leap forward to successfully test-launch its 5G 3CC technology.
2024: The Year of 5G-A in the Middle East
Undoubtedly, as individuals and companies embrace the advantages of 5G-enabled devices, governments and industry stakeholders are intensifying their endeavors to offer cost-effective broadband and initiate a new era of connectivity through 5G-Advanced.
The deployment of 5G Advanced networks has begun and during the next three to five years, more progress is set to be recorded. As it become widely available, 5G Advanced is projected to pave the way for enhanced wireless capabilities, expanding connection and introducing a slew of unique, game-changing services for enterprise customers.
