TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Telecom operators in the Middle East are going all-in on 5G. But is it really the future?

- BEN MACK

5G. 5G. 5G. Have we mentioned 5G yet?

Speak with anyone in the telecommunications industry – most certainly including in the Middle East – and it seems all they want to talk about these days is 5G. There’s a simple reason, too: there’s big money to be made with 5G – potentially. According to Sweden-based telecommunications firm Ericsson, 5G technologies could be worth a staggering $1.2 trillion worldwide by 2026. Much of that money will also likely come from providing networks and services for corporate customers and governments; also according to Ericsson, there are expected to be just 30 million people in the Middle East subscribed to 5G services – such as with a 5G phone – by 2024.

Unsurprisingly, every telecommunications company in the region (and the world) has been pouring in enormous amounts of money in a race to roll-out 5G services for businesses and the general public. In the UAE alone, for example, Etisalat is busy building more than 1,000 towers to allow for the transmission of 5G signals, while du is constructing more than 800. Over in Saudi Arabia, STC has already built several hundred 5G towers – and is building several hundred more. Many more towers have also been built in Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman – even Iraq and Lebanon, where 4G coverage still remains spotty for millions of people.