Mubasher: Vodafone Qatar on Tuesday has announced that it is speeding up its 5G development in six key locations across the Gulf nation to include Abu Hamour, Al Azizya, Al Mamoura, Al Rayyan, Salwa Road, and Umm Salal Muhammed.

The plan follows the company’s announcement in August that it switched on its first live 5G network and quickly connected its first trial enterprise customer- Gulf Bridge International, Vodafone said in a statement.

The fifth generation of wireless technology is essential to cope with growth in demand for ever-higher speeds, capacity, and reliability, the telecoms firm noted. 

This will allow hosting new capabilities in gaming, in virtual reality and augment reality applications, in addition to hosting new business cases such as the industrial Internet of Things (IoT), connected healthcare and automated vehicles. 

The new service will allow all businesses across all sectors to monitor their operations in real time, the statement added.

“Vodafone Qatar’s 5G network rollout is well underway in the country with ambitious plans to bring our customers lighting speeds and innovative solutions that will enhance their lives and drive economic growth and productivity in Qatar,” Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim Al Thani, CEO of Vodafone Qatar, said.

In August, the telecom company announced that it has connected the first enterprise customer - Gulf Bridge International (GBI) - to the 5G network.

By the end of Tuesday’s session, Vodafone Qatar’s stock rose 2.82% at QAR 8.67.