Etisalat to captivate visitors at Expo Dubai with the future of connectivity

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Etisalat is ready to enthrall visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai with state-of-the-art digital experience making it one of the smartest, fastest and most connected site on earth. Expo 2020 Dubai is Etisalat’s first commercial 5G enterprise customer in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region to access 5G services. This sets a benchmark for the region and globally, positioning UAE as an innovation leader in technology and infrastructure.

Etisalat and Expo 2020 senior executives earlier inaugurated the exclusive Etisalat Digital Lounge at the Expo 2020 site, showcasing Etisalat’s readiness to provide Expo 2020 participants and visitors with a superior network and digital experience.

Mohammed AlHashmi, Chief Technology Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “We are delighted to inaugurate the Etisalat Digital Lounge at Expo 2020 Dubai. Together with Etisalat and our other technology partners, we are not only setting new benchmarks in speed and connectivity on a global scale, but also creating a blueprint for the future, with cutting-edge technologies that will transform how we manage cities and optimise everyday living. We look forward to opening our doors to the world, and welcoming visitors to enjoy the innovations that will offer an enhanced way of living for generations to come.”

Masood M Sharif Mahmood, CEO, Etisalat UAE, said: “We are proud to connect Expo 2020 Dubai, the largest global event ever held in the region, with the most advanced 5G network and technology solutions that will bring innovation and transformation to the country and industry. This milestone is in line with Etisalat’s vision to ‘Drive the digital future to empower societies’ and its continuous efforts to enhance the reputation of the UAE as a leader in innovation, infrastructure and development.   

“Expo 2020 Dubai will allow visitors to witness history in the making with its unique celebrations throughout the entire period. When the doors open to the World Expo visitors will enjoy a seamless, cutting-edge, immersive digital experience with a state-of-the-art network built exclusively to serve the requirements of Expo 2020 Dubai, the participating pavilions and visitors.”

Etisalat has built a dedicated modern network for Expo 2020 Dubai to meet it’s exclusive requirements and provide telecom services for the millions of visitors expected from around the world throughout the six-month event.

People visiting Expo 2020 Dubai will enjoy a network that is secure and reliable with low latency covering the area of 4.38 sqkm. This was possible due to the deployment of over 8500 mobile access points, over 8000 Wi-Fi access points, 700 km fiber optic connectivity, more than 800 km cabling for mobile indoor and Wi-Fi network across exhibition and pavilion areas providing the highest throughput, capacity and seamless smart connectivity.

This is supported by Etisalat’s constant efforts in the development and modernisation of its infrastructure leading it to be ranked as the fastest mobile network on the planet.

With a fiber network extended to every corner of the site, Expo 2020 Dubai visitors will experience seamless uninterrupted services with best-in-class download and upload speeds, high-quality content and minimal latency.  

The Expo 2020 Dubai site has more than 700 km of highly resilient and multi-redundant fiber network, which is four times the distance between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Fiber cables will have the ability to provide more bandwidth for carrying more data.

Etisalat’s network is also the backbone for the country, with the UAE having the highest fiber to the home (FTTH) penetration of all its global counterparts with 98.3 percent fiber connectivity coverage.

Integrating innovation in technology and architecture

In line with the tradition of World Expos, Expo Dubai 2020 has produced architectural wonders with the country pavilions expected to reflect unique cultures and exemplary architecture. Etisalat has put in special efforts and consideration in maintaining the aesthetic value of Expo 2020 Dubai by reinventing the way the telecom network and infrastructure is built and integrated in line with the main theme of the Expo 2020 site, without compromising network performance.

Etisalat will play a major role in connecting visitors and participants with a cutting edge, seamless and immersive digital experience that brings Expo 2020 themes to life setting a benchmark for future World Expos.

 Etisalat Digital has designed solutions and services to address international participants’ specific Information Communication Technology (ICT) needs and is working with the Expo 2020 team to ensure that an event of such a global scale has a secure, efficient network that is up and running 24/7. The business unit is managing Expo 2020’s multi-cloud hosting infrastructure and is also providing a range of services to the 192 countries with pavilions to meet their requirements for scalability, flexibility, responsiveness and reliability.