Etisalat UAE subscribers get 5G fixed services

DG Staff

ABU DHABI 16 September 2020: Etisalat subscribers in the UAE can now access superfast speeds on 5G fixed networks from their homes, enabling them to stream high bandwidth 4K videos, enjoy cloud-based gaming and low latency to meet the accelerated need for immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality during the pandemic.

“The deployment of 5G FWA is another major 5G milestone for Etisalat, a result of our continuous efforts in bringing the best in technology and infrastructure for our subscribers in the UAE. Today’s announcement is significant as it lays a foundation for 5G use cases to bringing futuristic technologies and solutions in a mature 5G ecosystem. This is only the beginning of the next evolution of fixed wireless technologies and the immense possibilities of innovation for the UAE residents and businesses, Saeed Al Zarouni, Senior Vice President, Mobile Network, Etisalat, said.

Etisalat 5G FWA CPE (customer premise equipment) will be installed at the subscriber’s residence to be connected wirelessly to the 5G towers broadcasting the wireless signal. The customer connects a WiFi router to the 5G CPE to provide broadband services in a similar way done over fibre.

TRA allocates new frequencies for 5G networks

Meanwhile, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), announced the allocation of a new frequency band that allows UAE telecom operators to expand the application of 5G, in line with the decisions of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019, WRC-19.

Frequencies in the millimetre wave range between 24.25 – 27.5 GHz have been allocated to the development of 5G networks, which strengthens the UAE’s leading position in the region, as the first in the Middle East and North Africa to allocate this range.

The band will be allocated in two phases based on the equipment availability. The first phase has already started on 1st September 2020, in which the frequency band 26.5-27.5 GHz was allocated to the operators. The second phase will start in the third quarter of 2021, through which 1 GHz will be allocated per operator in the (25.5 – 27.5 GHz) range.

The new 1 GHz bandwidth will provide each of the mobile operators with an opportunity to enhance and develop wireless broadband services using 5G technologies in terms of speed and data volume compared to 4G. It will also provide other additional features such as higher rates to transfer data per second and enhanced communications capacity per square kilometre, while ensuring the quality of services and increasing performance efficiency compared to previous generations.

TRA also confirmed that 5G deployment in the UAE by the licensees complies with Guidelines on Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields approved by recognised international organisations such as the World Health Organisation, WHO, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, ICNIRP, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE, and in line with TRA’s framework for Non-Ionizing Radiation Limits for Telecommunication Networks.

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