Abu Dhabi
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) on Saturday officially announced the implementation and use of IMT-2020, also known as the 5G, which is the fifth generation of broadband cellular network technology.
The TRA said in a statement that mobile networks-licensed operators are going to embark on preparing the necessary infrastructure — starting from 2018 — to deal with the requirements of the next phase, including the use of coordinated spectrum bands and the development of ICT sector infrastructure.
The TRA’s development will help facilitate the implementation of the UAE’s top strategic approaches, including entering the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, at the heart of which are technologies such as artificial intelligence, smart cities, the internet of things (IoT), as well as massive machine-to-machine data flows (M2M).
The fifth-generation application will also improve the browsing and usage speeds up to several gigabits per second, to provide new services in line with digital transformation and smart government.
The shift towards the fifth generation will enable the UAE to meet its global competitiveness goals, particularly achieving the world’s first position in smart government services and being one of the top ten in IT infrastructure readiness, the TRA said.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, Director General of the TRA, said: “We are proud to be among the first countries to use the fifth generation of communications, which is in line with our leadership’s vision and the UAE 2021 vision, which places our country in its deserved position as one of the best in the world.
In the last few years, the telecommunications sector has been the main driver of growth in all sectors of development. However, the rapid global developments and the transition of humanity to the Fourth Industrial Revolution have strengthened the sector’s status as the nervous system of major digital transformations and the incubator for development on all levels, whether in science, economics, education or other vital fields. “
Earlier, the TRA established a Steering Committee chaired by the Director General for oversight and leadership role and another three committees, including all stakeholders (operators, manufacturers, academia and users), to synergize the process. This initiative by the TRA is to work with the strategic partners to make UAE a leading country in deploying 5G.
