Qatar has become the first country in the world to roll out a 5G network on the 3.5GHz spectrum band, confirming its leading position in the world of communications and technology.
Due to Qatar’s capabilities and infrastructure in the world of communications it was able to be the first in this field, a position which was sought by many countries around the world. This confirms Qatar’s readiness to use applications related to technology and benefit from it in all areas.
5G is a wireless communications technology that develops faster communication than 4G technology. Multiple antennas through this technology allow better and faster data transmission, making it a better choice overall.
Ooredoo formally announced in mid-May the launch of the 5G services in Qatar.
The introduction of 5G services will significantly increase Internet speed in the country offering speeds up to 10 gigabytes per second (gbps) compared to the current available speed of up to 256 megabytes per second (mbps).
With the 5G service, users can download HD movies in just a few seconds.
Slow Internet speed does not occur due to the lack of Internet or low signal, but because of the large amount of information and data being sent at the same time by many users. However, the new 5G will solve this problem offering over 100 times bigger capacity, which means more people or devices can connect to a specific network without compromising the performance of other users.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA) Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo Qatar, Waleed al-Sayed said the company has been keen to be proactive in adopting and developing the latest technologies and provide it in various regions of Qatar. This will enable the use of new concepts in technology because of the unprecedented high speed of data transfer, such as the Internet of Things that will enable everything like the appliances and tools to connect to the Internet.
He explained that Ooredoo has begun conducting the 5G commercial network in cooperation with Qatar Airways through Ooredoo Supernet network.
Al-Sayed pointed out that the company had launched the 5G services for a limited number of companies during Qatar National Day in December 2017, considering this as a very important achievement due to its positive importance to the digital community in Qatar in the future.
The CEO said Ooredoo continued to experiment 5G devices and software in different areas and at different speeds in Qatar until last February. During Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in Spain, Ooredoo announced that it had reached advanced stages of providing fifth generation services, to become the first company in the world that owns the hardware and equipment necessary to provide this service to corporate customers.
Al-Sayed said Ooredoo was the first company in the world to launch a fifth-generation network through the 3.5 GHz Spectrum, noting that the company continued to expand its fifth generation network throughout Qatar less than 3 weeks after the announcement.
The Ooredoo Qatar CEO said the company’s 5G speed has reached 2.51 GHz/sec, with a high rate of capacity and very low delay.
The second service provider in Qatar is not far from the fifth generation technologies. In this context, Vodafone Qatar Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Ramy Boctor told QNA that the company took part in Qatar’s spectacular development progress to become a knowledge-based economy supported by a sophisticated digital infrastructure, explaining that the company has helped in supporting economic sectors that play a pivotal role in pushing Qatar to the ranks of the world’s most developed countries in terms of technology and communication.
The Vodafone Qatar CTO stressed that the company is working to utilise its global communication experience in developing new innovations that contribute to making a better life, noting that the company is concentrating on providing world-class telecommunication and digital services in Qatar. Through continuous investments in the structure, Vodafone Qatar has been able to build a world-class network,” he said.
Boctor said the fifth generation technology was an essential step in the digital development process that both the company and the country were witnessing, revealing that Vodafone will start providing this service at the end of the year and it will be operational as soon as the devices that supports it are available in the Qatari market.
He said the fifth generation technology will enable companies and individuals to enjoy super-high speeds, faster transmission time for data and an increase in the reliability of network performance.
