The strategic agreement paves the way for 5G roaming between the Middle East and the global mobile and carrier community.
“5G is seen as a game changer with rich potential for the wholesale business bringing maximum opportunities with higher connection speeds, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities. This has enabled new use cases and applications positively impacting different industry sectors,” said Ali Amiri, Group chief of carrier and wholesale at Etisalat.
“The strategic partnership with TIM will enable mobile operators across the globe with superior roaming services and connectivity. With Etisalat’s wide coverage roaming services covering 837 operators in 216 destinations and Smarthub IPX providing wide 4G coverage to more than 460 live LTE partners in 163 countries would play a pivotal role in enabling 5G for all our customers across international networks.”
Expo 2020 was the first major commercial customer in MEASA to partner with Etisalat on 5G, but it was Etisalat that was the first telecom operator to launch the first commercial 5G network in MENA.
Through its network rollout and launch of the first 5G handset in the MENA, Etisalat managed to provide UAE customers with an opportunity to experience the power of 5G technology. It has also empowered visitors at Abu Dhabi international airport with indoor ultra-high speed 5G connectivity, making it the first airport in the region with 5G coverage.
