du detailed plans to establish a 5G innovation centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the goal of unifying the research efforts of technical and academic organisations into the next generation technology.
The operator said the UAE 5G Innovation Centre (U5GIG) will also be open to global telecom vendors, as it bids to contribute to worldwide efforts on defining 5G technology and related standards. The facility will be used to prototype, test, and validate early 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) equipment and services.
du added that the U5GIG centre will enable wireless industry vendors, and UAE universities and technical organisations to develop a 5G ecosystem, and trial potential technologies and applications in a “real-world setting”.
Ibrahim Nassir, chief human capital and administration officer at du, said the U5GIG will “allow the UAE to effectively compete with the advanced markets and bring UAE’s voice to the technology development debate.”
Collaborations between the wireless industry and academia are necessary to ensure the UAE achieves its potential to be a “major industry development leader,” Nassir added.
In a statement announcing the plan to establish the 5G innovation centre, du explained that the facility is a further step towards achieving the goals of UAE VP and Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who wants to see the UAE become a global technology leader and innovator.
The operator added that the work conducted at the U5GIG will be shared with global standards bodies including 3GPP, ITU, and the GSMA. In doing so, the UAE will make its contribution to the establishment of global standards and definitions of 5G, the operator said.
du stated that the facility will also close existing gaps in the research programmes of the telecom industry and UAE academic institutions by helping partners on both sides of the fence establish and maintain closer relationships.
The operator pledged to utilise the centre to deliver innovative communications solutions that generate social and economic value for the UAE, while also boosting the knowledge and capabilities of students.
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