Built at du’s Dubai headquarters, the 5G-A Innovation Center is going to be a key building block of the next generation of 5G, not just for the UAE but for anyone associated with the next iteration of 5G.
Are we ready for 5G Advanced? We need to be. The extraordinary promise of 5G-A is now ready to be explored following this year’s completion by the 3GPP standards association of much of its work on Release 18, meaning that a standardized version of 5G-A is now available to 5G equipment vendors.
But the UAE-based service provider du is already looking even further ahead. The 5G-A Innovation Center, formally inaugurated at du’s Dubai headquarters, is going to be a key building block of the next generation of 5G, not just for the UAE but for anyone associated with the next iteration of 5G.
This initiative aims high: it will explore and showcase the commercial applications and business models of 5G-A, unlocking the commercial potential of what many feel is going to be a truly transformative evolution of mobile telecommunications technology. But what is driving that potential? Let’s look at just a few of the changes and improvements 5G-A will usher in, enable or support.
5G-A: more bandwidth, less latency
Firstly, let’s talk about the basics: higher mobile bandwidth, lower mobile latency and greater reliability will be key attributes of 5G-A. These capabilities sound impressive – but what they will allow is amazing, supporting applications that include ultra-intelligent vehicles, transport network connectivity, streaming, gaming, smart manufacturing, remote collaboration, and intelligent logistics as well as AI-generated content, including 3D and spatial video AI assistants running on smartphones, on glasses and on AI devices. And doing all this with a focus on energy-saving efficiency.
Mobile devices will play a key role in this change, notably in supporting AI. As a key pillar of the mobile AI era, 5G-A is poised to usher in seismic changes.
This promise comes at a time of fast change for the UAE. du is now executing its 5G-A Country strategy agreed, having initiated a nationwide 5G-A network deployment last year, aiming to establish high-quality and leading overseas 5G-A network with a target of thousands of sites by year-end.
As with all its deployments, du is building its 5G-A network to the highest standards, utilizing Time Division Duplex 3 Component Carrier Aggregation (TDD 3C.) Put simply, this approach combines spectrum from different TDD frequency bands with 300MHz of commercial spectrum to vastly improve connection speeds.
Component Carrier Aggregation is not new, of course, a technology in use since the LTE era, carrier aggregation lets network operators combine multiple frequencies to boost data rates in the 5G era. But moving from 2CC to 3CC for 5G-A takes it to another level. In fact the deployment of three TDD large-bandwidth carriers with aggregation promises users an unmatched network experience.
Of course du has experience in 5G already. As a leading telecom service provider in the UAE, du ranks globally in terms of 5G coverage and network speed and has seen remarkable results from its commitment to innovation. The widespread adoption of 5G services demonstrates the popularity of du's network: 5G user traffic now accounts for over 60% of total mobile traffic, surpassing the combined traffic of 4G and 3G networks.
Now, as the 5G-A era begins, du is at the forefront of deploying the TDD 3CC 300MHz commercial network it requires. As these words are being written thousands of 5G-A base stations are being readied for deployment. This isn’t just about solidifying du's leadership in the 5G-A landscape. A fast, efficient rollout targeting as many customers as possible is essential and du is working to create an exceptional 5G-A network experience in the UAE’s core commercial areas, with the first phase covering Dubai city and the second phase extending nationwide. Those customers will be among the first anywhere to experience the speed and capacity of 5G-A.
5G-A indoors
In particular the role of 5G-A indoors will be significant. In September, du deployed the first indoor 5G-Advanced network in the Middle East. Again making use of 3CC technology, this network will significantly enhance the capabilities of mobile networks by improving connectivity in indoor spaces such as shopping malls, hotels, airports, and residential buildings, not just enhancing services but encouraging footfall and purchases.
The role of the 5G-A Commercial Innovation Center
As we have said, du has achieved 3CC deployment across the UAE, with the core network already upgraded to standalone (SA) 5G. This is both important for du and in line with the economic vision of the UAE as a whole. The UAE places great importance on ICT infrastructure construction and technology development. The country was an early adopter of 5G technology, and its deployment has already reaped numerous benefits. 5G-Advanced will build on this success.
Of course du is not alone. With over 300 commercial 5G networks already deployed globally and advancements continuing, the transition from 5G to 5G-Advanced is poised to revolutionize network capabilities and user experiences in many areas. But the arrival of the 5G-A Commercial Innovation Center is key to boosting du’s leadership as 5G-A enters the mass market.
Yes, 5G-A will be supporting a wide range of business scenarios and unlocking new commercial opportunities. But it is not enough just to wait for applications and experiences to appear. Hence the 5G-A Commercial Innovation Center, which is focused on exploring commercial opportunities in the 5G-A era, with the aim of driving large-scale commercial use of new services across consumer, home, and enterprise segments. Its brief is a wide one. It will accelerate the incubation of multi-dimensional experiences integrated with AI, offering advancements in FWA, immersive XR services, open network capabilities, and B2B (business-to-business) applications.
With the help of the 5G-A Commercial Innovation Center, in the consumer space du will leverage the combination of 5G-A and AI to introduce new benefits and services tailored to different user groups and scenarios. This includes differentiated experiences such as live streaming with enhanced uplink capacity, low-latency gaming, and high-bandwidth solutions for remote work. The collaboration also promises specialized services for live concerts, and sports events, enhancing user satisfaction by catering to individualized needs.
For the home segment, continuous upgrades to the FWA network will enable users to enjoy gigabit-level speeds, providing smoother video streaming and lower-latency online gaming experiences. Enterprises will benefit from faster and more reliable dedicated network connections.
As for the important and demanding enterprise domain, 5G-A’s enhanced data transmission speeds, reduced latency and improved reliability will support critical business deployments such as smart manufacturing, remote collaboration, and intelligent logistics. This will provide robust network support for enterprises undergoing digital transformation.
A catalyst for innovative digital solutions
These were some of the themes discussed at the 5G-A Leaders' Forum earlier this year, where global ICT leaders gathered to chart the technology evolution from 5G to 5G-A and examine the technological advancements 5G-A promises with the goal of catalyzing digital innovation and intelligence across the Middle East. With the inauguration of the 5G-A Commercial Innovation Center they come a little closer to reality.
du will leverage the advanced capabilities of 5G-A to introduce innovative applications that meet the diverse needs of consumers, households, and enterprises, accelerating the UAE’s digital transformation and ushering in a new era of intelligent, connected, AI-powered mobility.
It has been said before but bears repeating: the next phase in mobile network evolution is not just an incremental upgrade; it embodies a leap forward in integrating artificial intelligence, improving network flexibility, and enabling more complex and varied use cases. From smart cities to advanced industrial applications, 5G-Advanced is expected to be a catalyst for innovative digital solutions across sectors, sparking a revolution in the way we connect and communicate. And now, thanks to the 5G-A Commercial Innovation Center we can start to explore some of the amazing places 5G-A can take us.
