Du plans roll out of 5G network in the UAE this year

The Dubai-based telco joins Etisalat in rolling out the ultra-high speed mobile broadband

Du posted an increase in earnings for the second quarter. Ryan Carter / The National

Du, the Dubai-based telecom operator, said on Monday it will roll out this year a limited service of 5G, the ultra-high speed mobile broadband that is set to revolutionise the internet ahead of a wider launch next year.

“The commercial availability of 5G terminals, globally, is only expected in 2019 as standards and technologies are still being finalised,” said Saleem AlBlooshi, chief infrastructure officer, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, the parent of du. “As a transparent and innovative company, we are excited to announce our complete network readiness this year, in anticipation of its 2019 roll out.”

Du's announcement follows rival Etisalat's plans to roll out 5G commercial fixed devices and services this coming September. US telecom operators, include Verizon Communications, AT&T, T-Mobile US and Sprint and others in Asia and Europe are vying to launch 5G this year, which will perform as much as 100 times faster than 4G.

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Two-thirds of the world’s mobile connections will be running on 4G and 5G networks by 2025, according to telecommunications standards organisation GSMA. 4G will account for 53 per cent of global mobile connections by 2025 (up from 29 per cent in 2017), while 5G networks will grow to account for a further 14 per cent, following the launch of the first commercial 5G networks this year, according to GSMA.

“The mass adoption of 5G in the UAE will completely transform the landscape when it comes to how residents utilise their various connected devices, and further strengthen the Internet of Things (IoT) services in the region, which du provides,” said Mr AlBlooshi. “This will allow us to offer a number of innovative use cases including Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, IoT, Smart City applications and Remote Surgery, among others.”