Gitex Technology Week has finished, leaving with us the promise of a 5G rolled out across the UAE, making it the tub for the tech across the region. That promise is already coming true as Jumeirah Lakes Towers will soon get 5G connectivity, a first for Dubai and the country.
Announced by Etisalat and Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), JLT will lead the way to connecting Dubai under the new super-fast service.
The National reports: “This will transform the JLT community to become the first 5G-powered smart district in the region, making it a more seamless, efficient and safe experience for its members, residents and visitors,” said Salvador Anglada, group chief business officer of Etisalat.
“Both entities will work to empower the community, reduce environmental footprint, provide smart solutions to improve infrastructure and deliver efficient public utilities.”
“This is an exciting announcement and one that will come as welcome news to everyone connected to DMCC, the Jumeirah Lakes Towers community and the emirate of Dubai as a whole,” said Feryal Ahmadi, chief operating officer of DMCC.
The announcement comes after the UAE pledged itself to become a leading country in offering 5G, the Emirates joins the likes of the US, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea in offering the fifth-gen tech.
At GITEX, Hani Sobih ELKukhun, Vice-President for Strategy at Huawei Middle East said that its company had pledged more than US $1.4 billion globally into 5G product development over 2017 and 2018. These product developments of course mean smartphones but also, as Dr Ahmed Bin Ali, Group Senior Vice-President for communications at Etisalat describes, 5G can also be used in “transport, health care, real estate and retail”.
Read more about the crazy tech at GITEX Technology Week here!
5G is the next generation of internet connectivity on your phone, preceded by 3G and 4G, it is a much faster service that will have greater coverage and a lot more stability. The implementation of the service into JLT comes soon after Abu Dhabi announces the world’s first artificial intelligence post graduate programme. The courses are hoped to solidfy the UAE as a leading force in the growing secor that is AI.
The UAE, most notably Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have been bolstering smart services over the years, hoping to make the UAE an interconnected city. Most recently, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council announced his optimism towards putting every Dubai government service on your phone via an app called ‘Dubai Now’. His Highness announced a wide selection of government services are now on the app, removing the need for paper and physical documentation in Dubai.
5G is hoped to roll out in JLT at some point this week or next.
