Partner Content - After 5G Success, e& Looks To 5G-Advanced For Continued Growth

In many ways, 2023 was the year that 5G development truly bloomed for e& and its Etisalat division. The UAE operator saw nearly 40% increase in 5G device uptake last year, for example, with a 5G traffic ration of 42%.

That has produced multiple positive results, according to Marwan Bin Shakar, SVP of Wireless and Access at e& UAE, including enhanced user satisfaction, loyalty, and monetization of 5G services. 

Marwan Bin Shakar, who recently spoke with Light Reading contributing editor Greg McIvor at WinWin Live, pointed to the firm’s Ookla 5G NPS scoring – where Etisalat recently reached #1 globally – as further concrete evidence of 5G-driven improvements in overall user experience.

5G development and availability in the UAE hit 98.9% in 2023, and Marwan Bin Shakar expects to cross the 99% threshold in 2024.

Indeed, 2024 is shaping up to be an even more exciting year. Marwan Bin Shakar said the 5G colocation ratio in indoor infrastructure is expected to increase from 79 to 94 by the end of the year, and Etisalat recently announced (at GITEX 2023) the commercial launch of 5G. On the fixed broadband side, the company is currently testing the latest in 50G technology in collaboration with Huawei, and will soon launch its Fiber to the Home (FTTH) service.

“The goal of Etisalat is to steer society into an era of thinking where superfast broadband speed can be realized by any customer,” Marwan Bin Shakar said. “Hence, Etisalat aims to collaborate with partners and invest in cutting-edge emerging technologies like transport backbone, 5G-Advanced, 50 GPON, AI/ML, and quantum networking.”

5G-Advanced, or 5G-A, is increasingly seen as an innovation bridge between 5G and 6G. As such, forward-looking operators like Etisalat are investing in 5G-A technologies to ensure continued growth and innovation now that 5G is widely available.

“e& has made significant progress in testing and deploying the key pillars of 5G-Advanced technology, as stipulated in the 3GPP Release 18 and positions the UAE at the forefront of future 5G networks for consumers and enterprises alike,” Marwan Bin Shakar said.

That work includes collaborating with partners like Huawei on enhanced mobile broadband, lower latency, IoT connectivity, automation, precise positioning, and open architecture. Marwan Bin Shakar said the company is planning to roll out 5G RedCap features and its 5G network once the ecosystem becomes commercially available.

“5G-Advanced will [also] hasten artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable efficient network operation optimization,” Marwan Bin Shakar said. “Etisalat has already laid a foundation by activating large numbers of use cases where it is around an orchestration platform.”

On the fiber 5G front, e& has already deployed the XGS-PON ten gigabit symmetrical base of optical network technology to enable speeds of up to 10GB/s, both for download and upload, ushering in the transition from GPON to XGS-PON. 

“It isn't just about higher speed – it is a fundamental shift in network capability,” Marwan Bin Shakar said. “XGS offers higher bandwidth capacity compared to GPON, allowing us to cater to the ever-growing data demands of our customers.”

Speaking of ultrafast speeds, e&’s collaboration with Huawei includes producing 10 GB/s speeds on the 6 GHz spectrum. Marwan Bin Shakar also said the company is considering exposing its network APIs to generate more relevant use cases for both networks and customers.

Finally, the conversation turned to another hot topic in the telecommunications industry: environment impact and sustainability. Marwan Bin Shakar noted that e& has set a target of 2030 for net-zero emissions in the UAE.

“Zero emission networks are a critical focus area of the telecommunication industry as it transitions towards a more sustainable future,” Marwan Bin Shakar said.