5G driving innovation in MEA

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

The commercial 5G networks are going live in the region spurring innovation for new consumer experiences and presenting new opportunities for enterprises, said Ericsson Middle East and Africa (MEA) President Fadi Pharaon.

Addressing media and analysts at GITEX 2019 in UAE, Pharaon also highlighted the role of 5G in driving new revenue streams emerging from the digitalisation of industries. “The deployment of 5G networks will allow operators to develop new use cases, applications, services and revenue streams from IoT and industrial applications– sparking an unprecedented wave of innovation,” he said.

According to Ericsson Mobility Report MEA, 90% of subscriptions in the region are expected to be for mobile broadband by 2024, offering vast opportunities to operators to embrace 5G both for a better user experience as well as exploring new revenue streams.

Pharaon highlighted directions for service providers to realize the full potential of 5G by sharing insights of some of the most successful use cases globally and highlighting a guide for service providers on how to realize the full potential of 5G. Pharaon presented go to market strategies, including considerations on business models and value chain positioning, as well as network deployment requirements.  

He stated that many operators have already selected Ericsson as their 5G partner. The company is first with publicly announced commercial 5G contracts and commercial live networks in four continents with more announcements to come.

Pharaon explained that Ericsson has a flexible portfolio with its 5G platform that enables telecom operators to smoothly switch on 5G on their existing 4G networks. The Ericsson Radio System hardware has been 5G-ready since 2015 and can also be used for 5G NR with a remote software installation. He added: “We work with our partners to enable the evolution to full 5G deployment through manageable steps, in a way that matches business and technology realities.”