Despite the deployment of fifth generation cellular technology (5G) in the UAE, the Dubai-based telecom operator is experiencing a slower shift of consumers from 4G to 5G compared to 3G and 3G. 4G.
Saleem Al Blooshi, CTO of EITC, the parent company, told LaComparacion Middle East that they are building supply (infrastructure) this year and demand will start next year.
"We currently cover 8% of the UAE population with 5G and 15% by the end of the year. We plan to cover 100% of the UAE in the next three years. We expect 5G smartphones to overtake 4G by 2022." He said.
However, he claimed that the deployment of 5G posed problems, such as the availability of space in the pylons and the power consumption in 5G, which requires a lot of energy at this stage. .
"5G requires four times the power of 4G. However, the main challenge is the availability of phones. We have created the supply but there is no demand for 5G," he said.
When 4G was launched, it said that the end user needed video applications. "When a consumer went from 3G to 4G, the experience was 180 degrees different. From 4G to 5G, no use case requires 5G infrastructure. Possible use cases for 5G are augmented reality, virtual reality, and video streaming that require great bandwidth, "he said.
No economic model
Technically, Al Blooshi said that all 5G components are available, but there are no commercial models.
"The business model is unclear. Will the operators provide AR and VR content or technology providers or content providers," he said.
However, Al Blooshi said he was in talks with different content providers in the country.
"2020 will be the year of creating a demand for 5G. Based on accelerating demand, the deployment of infrastructure will also accelerate. By the end of the year, there will be 800 base stations for 5G and is expected to double. by the end of next year, "he said. he stated.
Samsung will launch its 5G phone at the end of the month.
Al Blooshi said that demand for 5G phones from Huawei, Oppo and ZTE was not that high and that it has already started to implement its 5G router to speed up fixed line services when fiber is not available, but consumption is not as high as the fiber. The optical cable is still across the UAE.