Looks forward to new commercial use cases with FWA and 5G mobile in UEA
e& (formerly Etisalat)announced the first commercial deployment of a comprehensive 5G Standalone (SA) network in the Middle East and North Africa for consumers, businesses and IoT.
The operator says the deployment has transitioned the network from running a 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) on the 4G network, the first to be deployed in the region back in 2018, to ‘proper’ 5G.
The 5G SA service provides mobile broadband more efficiently and can act as a replacement or substitute for fixed broadband using Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). The operator says that launching the 5G SA FWA “as the first service will open a new era of commercial use cases with a multi-vendor 5G Dual Mode network to enhance the broadband offering to customers”.
New but unspecified revenues
Khalid Murshed, Chief Technology & Information Officer of Etisalat by e&, said, “[5G SA] is a significant milestone as we look to deliver end-to-end 5G solutions in UAE, providing our customers with the latest digital innovations and superior experience and laying the foundation for new revenue streams.
“The 5G Standalone network will allow us to offer our customers the latest in high-speed and low-latency connectivity. Our recent collaborations have enabled us to increase the quality of our services, while creating a more reliable and cost-effective experience for our customers. We are proud to be leading the way in 5G technology and are committed to continuing our efforts to provide the best services in the industry.”