The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Arab States are set to be global leaders in the deployment of 5G networks, with all six markets expected to launch 5G mobile services in the next two years, according to recent reports.
The reports from GSMA Intelligence – ‘The Mobile Economy: Middle East and North Africa 20182’ and ‘5G in MENA: GCC operators set for global leadership’ – highlighted that pioneering mobile operators in the GCC Arab States are expected to launch 5G networks commercially from 2019, driving innovative new services across the region and spurring future growth.
By 2025, 5G will account for 16 percent of total connections in these markets.
“Backed by proactive government support, mobile operators, particularly in the GCC Arab States, have been quick to establish the foundations for global leadership in the deployment of 5G technology, moving rapidly from trials to early commercialisation,” said John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA.
There are currently 381 million unique mobile subscribers (Q2 2018) across the MENA region, accounting for 64 percent of the population.
The number of smartphone connections across MENA stands at 332 million as of Q2 2018, accounting for just over 50 percent of total connections in the region. This is expected to continue growing at an average annual rate of 8 percent to reach 587 million smartphone connections by 2025, or just under three-quarters of total connections across the MENA region.
The UAE remains a global leader in terms of smartphone adoption, second only to Singapore, with smartphones accounting for 85 percent of total connections. High mobile broadband usage and smartphone adoption has also resulted in more people across the region using data services such as IP messaging and using their mobile phones to watch online video.
“While we are encouraged by their progress to date, it is imperative that the region’s governments create a regulatory environment that allows 5G to flourish, including releasing sufficient spectrum, so that businesses and citizens can fully enjoy the innovative new services that 5G will deliver, as well as the resulting socio-economic benefits.”
The reports encourage policymakers to establish spectrum roadmaps that commit to releasing sufficient quantities of spectrum across all frequency ranges to enable operators to meet coverage and capacity. They further note that governments should implement taxation policies that could improve affordability and boost digital inclusion and adopt an approach to licence renewals that enables operators to make long-term investment decisions rather than maximising government revenue.
The reports also highlighted how operators will offer enhanced mobile broadband services in early 5G deployments, while applications and services for enterprises will be introduced later. There will be significant opportunities for operators across new consumer-oriented services such as immersive reality, eSports and enhanced in-venue digital entertainment at stadiums and music venues, for example. Further, video consumption on mobile devices will evolve to include newer augmented reality and virtual reality applications that will make content even more immersive and data intensive.
