Laying the foundation for the next generation of super-speed connectivity, Etisalat Group, a leading telecoms operator in the Middle East, Asia and Africa and Huaweia leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions providerhave announced today the signing of a new agreement that will see the two companies deepen their cooperation in pioneering telecom broadband services over the next five years across the region.

For the first time in the Region, Etisalat Group and Huawei will cooperate in the development of 5th generation (5G) mobile broadband. A joint team will be set up to conduct the trial of 5G services, which are the first ever trials of their kind across the Middle East.

Etisalat has been committing to enhance the customer experience through Nurturing advanced technologies. 5G mobile network aims to tremendously improve users experience with never seen before speed and capacity. The superfast 5G mobile network will enable new possibilities and offers seamless communication experience. says Hatem Bamatraf, Chief Technology Officer at Etisalat Group., . We always fulfill our promise to the communities we serve while maintaining the leading position in the region. He added

By 2020, it is estimated that 6.5 billion people worldwide will use mobile networks for data communications and that 100 billion additional things', such as vehicles, meters, medical devices, and home appliances, will also be connected via mobile networks.

"We have already achieved many breakthroughs in 5G research worldwide as people, business and cities become further digitally connected, says Alan Wang, the President of Huawei Etisalat Global Key Account.. The future of the digital society in the in the region will of course take a collective effort to realize. As Huawei extends its longstanding relationship with Etisalat, we look forward to opening up new possibilities that can address societys demand for higher-capacity, seamless mobile communication experiences.

While 4G telecom services are still relatively new in the Middle East, the research & development teams have already been working on developing fifth generation networks that can deliver tremendous data rates over the current 4G telecom networks.

By 2020, it is estimated that 6.5 billion people worldwide will use mobile networks for data communications and that 100 billion additional things', such as vehicles, meters, medical devices, and home appliances, will also be connected via broadband networks. To address the global demand for higher capacity mobile networks