GMIS partners with Etisalat to speed up 5G roll out

The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) said on Monday that it is partnering with telecom giant Etisalat to speed up the deployment of the fifth generation of wireless networks (5G) to spur digital transformation both in the UAE and globally.

As the strategic partner to the GMIS, Etisalat will share best practices from its experience in rolling 5G communication networks and offering advanced technology solutions to businesses and governments. Etisalat will share best practices during the weeklong GMIS2021 Summit, which will be held at Expo’s Dubai Exhibition Centre.

Etisalat was the first to launch 5G network in the UAE and the region, and contributed to UAE’s capital being ranked among the top three fastest 5G capitals worldwide.

Dr Ahmed bin Ali, group senior vice-president, Corporate Communications, Etisalat, said digital technology and 5G networks generate enormous economic and social value, and they can digitally transform every aspect of industrial operation – from production to service delivery. Through its strategy of ‘driving the digital future to empower societies’, Etisalat is committed to developing cutting-edge digital communication infrastructure to build more resilient societies and sustainable industries with more than four decades of its digital experience across industries.

“We are proud to partner with an international platform like GMIS and support the expansion of the UAE’s fast-growing and diversified industrial landscape.”

Badr Al Olama, head of the GMIS Organising Committee, said the industrial world is at the forefront of an unprecedented digital transformation as organisations transition to the next generation of networks and technology systems. “Digital solutions and 5G is at the very centre of this transformation. We are delighted to welcome Etisalat as a GMIS2021 strategic partner and as a leading player in digital transformation providing the latest and most innovative solutions and services. We look forward to jointly spearheading discussions on the future of this revolutionary technology.”

GMIS2021 will explore the rising importance of 5G in the manufacturing sector and highlight the evolving mechanisms of interaction between and among humans and machines in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The summit will organise a special session on the potential of 5G to drive improvements in climate action, sustainable energy generation, economic growth and social development.

The summit will benefit from the participation of the leading telco group Etisalat as well as the expertise of Etisalat Digital and its role in accelerating digital transformation to explore how 5G, in combination with Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and the Internet of Things, will usher in a new era of innovation for the manufacturing sector, strengthen global supply chain networks, promote sustainable economic growth and contribute to the UAE’s newly-launched industrial strategy.

Etisalat provides telecom and technology solutions to156.1million subscribers in 16 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. In 2016, Etisalat announced a partnership with Expo 2020, making it the first commercial partner to use 5G network in the region. In 2018, Etisalat launched the first commercial 5G network in the UAE and in 2020 was also ranked the fastest mobile network globally.

Driven by faster data speeds, higher device density and lower latency, 5G mobile networks are expected to fundamentally transform manufacturing processes by further automating factory floors, developing smarter supply chains and improving industrial productivity. As the rollout of 5G networks accelerates, it is also expected to spur significant societal progress, making healthcare services more accessible, enhancing crop production, reducing carbon emissions and improving public service delivery.

— issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com