Etisalat Group, a leading telecoms operator, and Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology solutions provider, has signed a new agreement to cooperate in the development of 5th generation (5G) mobile broadband.

A joint team will be set up to conduct the trial of 5G services, which will be the first  trials of their kind across the region.

”Etisalat has been committing to enhance the customer experience through nurturing advanced technologies. 5G mobile network aims to tremendously improve user’s experience with never seen before speed and capacity. The superfast 5G mobile network will enable new possibilities and offers seamless communication experience,” said Hatem Bamatraf, chief technology officer at Etisalat Group.

By 2020, it is estimated that 6.5 billion people worldwide will use mobile networks for data communications and that 100 billion additional ‘things', such as vehicles, meters, medical devices, and home appliances, will also be connected via mobile networks, said an Etisalat  statement.

"We have already achieved many breakthroughs in 5G research worldwide as people, business and cities become further digitally connected,” said Alan Wang, the president of Huawei –Etisalat global key account..  “The future of the digital society in the in the region will of course ake a collective effort to realize. As Huawei extends its longstanding relationship with Etisalat, we look forward to opening up new possibilities that can address society’s demand for higher-capacity, seamless mobile communication experiences.”  

While 4G telecom services are still relatively new in the Middle East, the research and development teams have already been working on developing fifth generation networks that can deliver tremendous data rates over the current 4G telecom networks. – TradeArabia News Service