Mubasher: Leading telecom companies in the Gulf region are competing to promote for 5G networks which will become a major boost to the regional video streaming and gaming sectors, Arab News said.
Saudi Telecom Co (STC) and the UAE’s Emirates Telecommunications Group (Etisalat), the GCC’s two biggest telecom firms, recently announced agreements with international telecoms giants at the Moblie World Congress (MWC) fair in Barcelona, the largest annual trade show in the telecom segment that is taking place from 25 to 28 February 2019, the Saudi-based news portal added.
“5G is going to revolutionise communication in Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” principal analyst at Futurum Research Daniel Newman told Arab News.
STC has signed a deal with Nokia to establish a 5G network first in the western and southern part of Saudi Arabia, including Makkah and Madinah, with an expectation to be completed by the end of 2020.
Meanwhile, Etisalat and Huawei have inked a partnership agreement to develop end-to-end 5G in the UAE, Arab News said.
A 5G network is nearly 100 times faster than 4G, and 10 times faster than the average broadband connection, according to Arab News.
“Benefits will range from lower latency and greater download speeds to shorter time to insight and improved user experiences. Smart cities, fully autonomous vehicles and real-world use of mixed reality will all be possible with 5G,” principal analyst told Arab News.
Etisalat senior vice president Saeed Al Zarouni, said, “There will be immense potential for future technologies such as AI, robotics, advanced 4K gaming, and AR and VR (augmented reality and virtual reality),” according to Arab News.
Smartphones user may still need for the devices to catch up with the new network technology, as handsets will need inbuilt 5G radios to connect to the new networks.
“Mobile communications industry body GSMA expects 4G to account for 45% of worldwide mobile subscriptions in 2025, with 5G expected to win a 15% share,” Arab News reported.
