The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the UAE assigned 5G frequencies to telecom operators at speeds of 3.3 gigahertz to 3.8GHz, as the country ramps up its digital transformation.
Fifth-generation technology, or 5G, will offer consumers and businesses three benefits: greater speed, lower latency and the ability to connect several devices at once.
“We have already assigned 5G frequencies for the operators that will be from 3.3GHz to 3.8GHz,” said Tariq Awadhi, executive director of the spectrum management affairs at TRA.
“This year, Etisalat and du have been officially allocated 100 megahertz each to establish a 5G network. To begin with, they have started establishing it commercially on a small scale. Currently, it is available for home broadband.”
The TRA, which regulates the UAE’s telecom sector and enables government entities in the field of smart transformation, said more partnerships with the private sector will ensure enterprises have better understanding of the benefits of 5G. “The UAE is not only ready for 5G but it has already started execution and assigning frequencies. But 5G business model is different than 3G or 4G … it’s not only about mobile and data,” Mr Awadhi said.
“We need to have effective partnerships between operators and use case verticals including in industries such as transportation, health, agriculture and education. Various countries have started doing it at different levels.”
Telecom operators in the UAE stand to gain an additional $3.3 billion (Dh12.1bn) in revenues by 2026 from the digitalisation of industries with 5G technology, according to a report from Swedish telecom company Ericsson.
“Most of the private sector still needs to know how they can be benefited. They need to see, experience and use it before ascertaining how 5G can help them in reaping good results,” said Mr Awadhi.
