Islamabad: Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, hosted its sixth annual 5G Ecosystem Conference in the Middle East on the sidelines of GITEX Technology Week 2020. The conference highlighted the developments related to the Middle East’s 5G ecosystem, with a particular focus on exploring issues related to innovative 5G solutions and applications for various industries, 5G’s role in advancing digital transformation and its business value for the operators, authorities, and industries. The conference also tackled the challenges for strengthening the region’s 5G ecosystem in the region and the prospects for partnership between the public and private sectors to leverage 5G benefits in all fields.
Held virtually under the slogan of ‘New Value Together’, the conference was attended by industry experts from across the Middle East and around the world, including telecommunications operators, industry analysts, leading enterprises, and various technology partners in the 5G ecosystem. Many of the discussions centered around the socio-economic importance of making 5G a commercial success; something that is especially pertinent in the time of COVID-19 as the pandemic has increased demands for seamless, reliable connectivity for individuals and enterprises alike.
Several countries in the Middle East were among the first wave of 5G commercial launches globally starting as early as 2018. In the GSMA’s 2020 report “The Mobile Economy Middle East & North Africa”, the telecom industry body estimates that there could be 60 million mobile 5G connections across the region by 2025, with USD70 billion being spent in the region on infrastructure rollouts between 2019 and 2025.
Vanness You, VP of Huawei ME Marketing and Solutions, CNBG, said: “With a new year ahead of us and the hope for better things to come, advanced technologies such as AI, cloud, computing, and 5G will play a major role as a strong contributor to driving social prosperity and advancing the economy.In particular, 5G will be essential to societal development during the pandemic and the post-pandemic economic recovery. We would like to work together with Middle East operators and partners to unleash the value of 5G networks for consumers and industry, harvesting more remarkable achievements in business and society. Huawei is firmly committed to working with our customers and partners, to investing in 5G ecosystem construction and the incubation of new industrial applications for various industries, and to open cooperation with other platforms such as 5G OpenLab to meet industry requirements.”