Ooredoo demonstrates 5G network capabilities

KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait held a special event Thursday event to demonstrate the power of its new 5G network which was announced earlier. The event was attended by media and social media influencers and was held at the company’s head office in the heart of Kuwait City on Soor Street. During the event, Ooredoo showcased the power of its new 5G network in comparison to the 4G network. The new network is projected to be released across Kuwait during the upcoming year.

During the event, Ooredoo demonstrated the network’s

ability to operate videogames comparing both networks, which require fast data speed, in addition to a live feed in 4K Full HD of drone footage of the event, and a speed test corner with devices equipped to utilize the new network capacity. In a statement to the press, Ooredoo Kuwait’s Corporate Communications Senior Director Mijbil Alayoub underscored that the launch embodies the company’s core values of caring, connecting, and challenging, and demonstrates its commitment to enriching people’s experiences through embracing leading in digitalization.

He added, “We are pleased to showcase to our esteemed guests tonight the great speed and power of our new network, which will be launched in selected areas this year as we gradually launch it across Kuwait. Over the years, we have worked tirelessly to deliver the best in-class services to our esteemed customers, no matter their needs. Through that, we are exercising our role as a private sector entity in the New Kuwait Vision 2035, and we aspire to deliver comprehensive telecom services with international standards in the Kuwaiti market under one roof.”

Internet of the future Ooredoo Kuwait’s Acting Chief Technology Officer Shaima Al-Najdi explained that the company launched 5G mobile internet in test sites, which delivers a speed of up to 10 Gbps. Al-Najdi added, “Ooredoo Kuwait’s Technology Department works to deliver the most innovative technologies and modalities in a highly competitive market, despite the many challenges, because we are aware that Kuwaiti consumers are very quick to adopt the latest international trends. We’re happy to launch 5G internet in test sites as we prepare to deliver this service to all our esteemed customers.”

She noted that using the technology will depend on the users’ devices and their readiness to connect to this new network, which comprises the future of mobile internet around the world. She added that a testament to the fact that the world’s leading technology innovators are creating flagship

smart and IoT devices that are ready for 5G, in preparation of the service’s launch across the world.

In addition to providing high-speed internet, the new 5G network will broaden the horizons of customers as the world embraces digitalization, serving customers and businesses alike. The trends that benefit from this technology include virtual reality, ultra-high definition multimedia, in addition to supporting the infrastructure of smart cities, wireless sensor networks, Internet of Things (IoT), connected cars, and the automation of several key industries.

Ooredoo Kuwait last week announced the launch of 5G mobile internet for its customers. The launch comes in tandem with the international Ooredoo Group’s plans to launch this technology across its markets, after it launched the new highspeed mobile internet in Doha through Ooredoo Qatar. Towards the end of last year, Ooredoo announced the completion of a major network upgrade operation in more than 1100 locations across Kuwait, aimed at increasing network capacity by upgrading the current infrastructure. The major project was completed in a record time of 5 months, without compromising the services provided to customers.

The Fifth Generation

The new network will witness significant improvement in speed and latency, allowing billions of devices to connect online. In terms of speed, the new network will allow customers to download high-definition media files in seconds. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) set up the speed of the new network to be up to 10 Gbps during the test phase starting 2018.

The new network will offer latency of 1 millisecond, an almost instant speed to transfer data which in effect is the speed between sending the command to the network and the time it takes to load the page content on the user’s browser or software. The faster the latency, the more capable devices and networks will be. This will be significant to operate Internet of Things (IoT) applications, in addition to contributing

greatly to loading content for virtual reality applications and online video games that require uploading and downloading data instantaneously.

When 4G Internet was launched in the market, it offered a speed increase of up to 8 times compared to its predecessor, the 3G mobile internet. With 5G internet, the speed will increase significantly by hundreds of times, giving users the ability to connect via a network with a speed of up to 10 Gbps. Ooredoo is continuously seeking opportunities to serve various segments of society by delivering the best inclass telecommunication services.