Dubai – Mubasher: Emirates Telecommunications Group (Etisalat) announced signing an agreement with the Chinese tech giant Huawei to roll out 5G services across the UAE during 2019.

The announcement came on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) that took place in Barcelona, Spain.

MWC Barcelona, running from 25 February to 28 February, is the largest mobile event in the world, bringing together the latest innovations and leading-edge technology from more than 2,400 companies. 

“5G is considered a major enabler for the next generation of broadband service and the Internet of Things, which is growing exponentially due to the global adoption of connected devices,” Saeed Al Zarouni, senior vice president of mobile networks at Etisalat, said.

The UAE’s biggest telecom operator seeks to build 300 5G towers in the first half of this year in an effort to provide the infrastructure and network to support all 5G-enabled devices launched by global mobile manufacturers.

“5G offers great potential for Etisalat to offer enriched broadband experiences, new services and explore new B2B markets,” Peng Xiongji, president of Huawei, commented.

The 5G is 10 times faster than 4G, which will enable real-time video streaming, and enhance gaming experiences and augmented reality services, as well as safe autonomous transport.

It is worth noting that Expo 2020 has become the first major commercial customer in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia to access 5G services through its partnership with Etisalat.

By 01:15 pm UAE time, Etisalat’s stock fell 0.35% at AED 16.95.