The tests were done over a ‘pre-commercial’ 5G site operating over e-band using 2GHz of bandwidth as well as massive MIMO technologies. The news comes ahead of the planned deployment of 5G to the UAE in 2020.
Speaking on the success of the trials, Saeed Al Zarouni, senior vice president of mobile networks at Etisalat, said: “Our field test at Gitex Technology Week is a significant step in validating the performance of 5G in high frequency band. 5G technologies and network will deliver capacity and connectivity along with opportunities for economic growth, education, healthcare, transportation and more.”
The launch of 5G is predicted to be the next step in the evolution in high-speed mobile broadband services. Its ability to enable access to applications from any platform, anywhere will shape the eco-system for the internet of things and smart cities.
“Etisalat’s investments in the future will play a key role in bringing growth and innovation in the country also laying the foundation for smart city development. This has given us the lead in network and the first to launch every new technology and service to customers in the telecom industry,” added Al Zarouni.
In addition to its speed trials, Etisalat also showcased its 5G technologies in a number of different use cases, including healthcare, 4K video, ultra-high quality video and face recognition.
Using virtual/augmented reality, the 5G robotic surgery enables critical cases to be managed remotely. Also the ultra-high resolution video experience such as 4K video and 4K virtual reality is possible through the use of 5G as it enhances mobile broadband with high throughput and offers the low latency required for virtual reality. The showcase for of the ultra-high quality video was mounted at the stand and streamed live footage over the 5G network to a virtual reality in the demo area during the presentation.
Etisalat recently extended its partnership with Intelsat, with the latter helping to upgrade the former’s network using its 33e high-throughput satellite. The multi-year expansion deal will see Intelsat leverage Etisalat’s teleport in Dubai as an expansion node for its IntelsatOne Flex service.
