Ooredoo Qatar, working with technology giant Ericsson, has successfully tested the 200MHz spectrum and achieved a record system throughput of 4.2Gbps, as part of the growing shift towards complete 5G delivery.
The technology, deployed within Ooredoo’s network, uses advanced 5G and 4G carrier aggregation functionality, increasing the data rate per user by assigning multiple frequency blocks to the same user. This innovation is expected to play an important role in the build-up to achieving 90 percent 5G coverage throughout Qatar by the end of 2020.
Increasingly, Ooredoo Qatar is positioned as a key digital enabler. With this recent breakthrough in both speed and delivery, customers will be able to maximize the benefits of streaming services, virtual learning environments, cloud gaming and augmented and/or virtual reality applications. Likewise, it will allow businesses to pursue new customer bases, while potentially streamlining their contribution to such endeavors as smart cities, telemedicine, and logistics.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Thani, CEO at Ooredoo Qatar says: “5G is a phenomenal evolution that opens doors to a world of new possibilities — many of which we have already tested — and we are proud to be at the forefront of the 5G revolution amongst global telecom operators. Keeping our customers connected and enabling them to enjoy the best of the internet is at the core of what we do, and this partnership with Ericsson will enable us to achieve our strategic goals in network development and expansion. We are making use of the latest innovative technology to apply 5G in existing frequency bands and deploying the latest 5G radios to shift our subscriber experience to a whole new level; with the addition of 5G, we are committed to offering Qatar the best mobile digital infrastructure, which will result in enhanced user experience ahead of the major world sporting events set to be held in Qatar.”
Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East & Africa, says: “We are pleased to be working with our long-standing partner Ooredoo Qatar helping them achieve the full potential of 5G. Today’s trial cements Ooredoo’s commitment to bring the latest technology and prepares its network for the new era of 5G use cases. This announcement highlights Ericsson’s 5G leadership enabling wider opportunities, innovative solutions, and applications that 5G will bring.”
By reaching this milestone, Ooredoo Qatar is taking a crucial step forward for an efficient and seamless roll-out of the latest mobile technology, offering enhanced network performance.