"Enabling 5G requires virtualization, cloudification and orchestration - all things that direct du towards 5G infrastructure," said Saleem Al Balooshi, executive vice president of Infrastructure and Technology at UAE-based telecommunications service provider 'du', speaking to Telecom Review about the operator's plans to develop 5G infrastructure to be implemented in time for Dubai Expo 2020.
The UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) held a working group meeting on May 3rd to open up discussions on spectrum issues and outline the 5G roadmap towards 2020. It was the second of three group meetings by the TRA held under the ITU's initiative "IMT for 2020 and beyond" (IMT-2020) setting the stage for 5G research activities that are emerging around the world.
Industry expectations are that the first set of 3GPP 5G standards will be finalized in time for first full-blown commercial 5G networks by 2020, says Aji Ed, head of Technology, MEA, Nokia, speaking to Telecom Review. Nokia offers the industry's first end-to-end 5G solution based on pre-standards and this is called 5G FIRST. Aji highlights the use cases for Nokia's 5G FIRST and how it can bring them closer to 5G commercialization.
The success of German independent management consulting firm, goetzpartners, is its DNA, says Middle East Managing Director Erik Almqvist, speaking to Telecom Review, who strongly advocates for investing in society and empowering staff in order to obtain the best results for clients. Founded in 1991, goetzpartners has become a powerful ally for telecom operators around the world looking to streamline their services, reinforce their DNA and adopt a more digital approach.
As the world becomes ever more digitally connected, industries are experiencing an ICT-driven transformation. Because of this, traditional revenue streams are slowing for operators, says Ericsson's Wojciech Bajda, Head of Industry and Society Unit in Region Middle East, speaking to Telecom Review about Ericsson's latest '5G Business Potential' report.
Kathrein, a leading international specialist for reliable, high-quality communication technologies, is "actively engaged in 5G discussions" in the Middle East, says CEO and managing director of the Middle East, Ayman Raba, speaking to Telecom Review. Mr. Raba shared fascinating insights about Kathrein's role in the Middle East, its vision in core connectivity areas such as 5G and IoT, and touched on Kathrein's 5G antenna solutions introduced at Mobile World Congress this year.
Following the completion of 5G technology standards, Huawei, collaborating with operators and industry partners, will commercialize full-fledged 5G equipment to cover all use cases, Dr. Mohamed Madkour, Vice President, Global Wireless Networks Marketing at Huawei told Telecom Review at 5G MENA. Dr. Madkour believes 5G will be the tool responsible for merging the digital world and the physical worlds - digital in terms of services and physical in terms of what we do every day.
Yahsat's third satellite, Al Yah 3, is "all go for 2017" said Chief Commercial Officer Farhad Khan speaking to Telecom Review on the sidelines of CABSAT satellite expo in Dubai. The UAE-based satellite operator is gearing up for the launch of the Ka-band satellite later this year, and CABSAT was the perfect venue for Yahsat to share its progress and reflect on a tough 2016 for the industry.
In an interview with Telecom Review, Mahdi Noorani, CEO, Sigma Telecom, talked about the company's services, projects and future plans.
Naveed Kashif, head of Sales, ION (IP and optical networks) for Middle East & Africa, Nokia, speaks to Telecom Review about the company's vast and successful IP and optical networks business - solutions that can help any organization with carrier-grade needs meet the challenges of evolving network infrastructure. Kashif highlights why Nokia's ION solutions are important for the MEA region and discusses plans for the sector's future in the company.
