- Eng. Saleh al-Musabi: The UAE is one of the leading countries in investing in 5G mobiles, both at the level of planning and strategies, and at the level of implementation and operation
UAE: The Telecommunications & Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) launched a white paper on the study of industrial applications of fifth-generation mobile networks, during its participation in GITEX GLOBAL 2022. TDRA prepared this paper to serve as a guide that outlines the visions and objectives of adopting 5G mobile technologies, laws and use cases, and everything related to the stages of standardization and spectrum, and the role of fifth-generation networks in developing work environments, industries, businesses, technology trends, intellectual property rights and sustainability.
TDRA honored its strategic partners in this initiative, namely Dubai Police, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Dubai Customs, Integrated Transport Center – Abu Dhabi, ADNOC, etisalat, du, Khalifa University, and Huawei.
Commenting on this initiative, Eng. Saleh al-Musabi, TDRA’s Deputy Director-General of the Telecommunications Sector, said: 5G has always been a hot topic when talking about the future, and we in the UAE, as you may know, are one of the leading countries in investing in 5G, both at the level of planning and strategies, and at the level of implementation and operation. This early interest in 5G was not separate from the UAE leadership’s historical interest in the ICT sector in general. We were pioneers in establishing the largest fiber-optic network, which allowed the UAE to scale seamlessly across multiple generations of ICTs.
Eng. al-Musabi added: “Looking to the future, the path of development in all sectors relies largely on this vital sector; the ICT sector, which is the incubator of all digital transformations. As for 5G, it is the bridge towards establishing a digital knowledge-based society and economy, and establishing the bases of the smart city.”
HE Younis Othman, IT Department Manager of Dubai Customs, extended congratulations to the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) on the launch of the 5G Industrial Use Project during GITEX Global 2022. He emphasized that the improvement of operational capabilities through advanced technology will enable government entities and institutions to launch new services and digital platforms based on an integrated portfolio of the latest technologies and solutions. This will enhance the user experience and speed up the completion of online transactions. He pointed out that Dubai Customs is one of the UAE’s leaders in providing smart and digital services. Dubai Customs’ transactions completed online amounted to 99.6% of all our services.
The white paper addresses the smart application development path in the UAE by comparison against other countries and regions. Chapter 1 of the white paper describes the characteristics and application scenarios of 5G networks.
Chapter 2 summarizes 5G network development trends in major countries and regions worldwide. Especially with regard to policies, strategic planning, project creation and the innovation environment related to 5G applications, in line with the achievement of economic and social digitization.
Chapter 3 of the white paper reviews the requirements for the development of 5G networks in the country, highlighting the efforts of the UAE government in developing 5G strategies and setting relevant standards and policies. Chapter 4 analyzes the path of promoting 5G applications, exploring the needs of the energy, manufacturing, public services and transport sectors for such applications, as these sectors enjoy robust digital infrastructure and have a strong tendency for digital transformation.
Chapter 5 examines the development of 5G applications in pilot/experimental sectors in the UAE, explaining the challenges and requirements of applying 5G technologies in key industries and proposing interim solutions to the challenges and requirements. Chapter 6 presents interim proposals for the development of 5G industrial applications in the UAE, in terms of policies, networks and applications, while drawing upon the experiences of other countries in 5G applications.
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Terms:
Digital Transformation: The use of modern digital technologies such as the Internet, Artificial Intelligence and smartphone applications in service provision, performance development and lifestyle improvement. Digital services are one of the main forms of digital transformation, where community members can access government services using mobile devices at any time and place.
Digital Economy: the activity resulting from daily communication online, which means the increased correlation and connectedness between people, organizations, machines, mobile technology and the Internet of Things.
Fifth-Generation Networks: the next technological revolution in mobile broadband, also known as 5G. Cell phone companies began rolling them out around the world in 2019 as planned successor to 4G networks that provide connectivity to most cell phones currently. 5G networks are expected to have more than 1.7 billion subscribers worldwide by 2025.
About TDRA:
The Telecommunications & Digital Government Regulatory Authority is tasked with supervising the telecommunications and digital government sectors in the UAE according to the Telecom Law issued by Federal Decree No. (3) of 2003 (as amended) and Decree No. (23) issued September 27, 2020 amending some provisions of Decree-Law No. (3) of 2003 on the Regulation of the Telecommunications Sector, and adding “digital government” to the functions and name of the Authority.
The regulatory role of TDRA is to ensure provision of excellent telecommunications services, develop the industry, protect interests of parties, implement relevant policy and regulatory frameworks, develop human resources and promote R&D, thereby ensuring the UAE a leading regional and global place in the telecommunications sector
In the area of enabling digital transformation, TDRA is responsible for overseeing the UAE Federal Digital Government under Law No. 3 of 2011. Since then, TDRA has been responsible for digital transformation at the national level through two strategic objectives: enhancing the smart lifestyle, and leadership in the digital infrastructure in the UAE
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