Qatar saw significant steps on the road to digital transformation last year as Ooredoo made considerable contributions to the development of ICT in Qatar.
Ooredoo achieved several milestones in 2018 and perhaps the biggest achievement was the launch, in May, of the world’s first commercial 5G network.
This significant step towards the life-changing technology being made widely available was swiftly followed by the rapid rollout of network tower installation, network testing in the Qatari desert and the arrival of the world’s first home broadband devices for testing, which showed the phenomenal speeds available.
Further testing of the breath-taking potential of 5G came at an event dedicated to the technology at The Pearl, Doha, where Ooredoo Qatar displayed several Smart Cities solutions and applications that will be available in Qatar. Innovative, life-changing technologies including a driverless aerial taxi, connected yacht, 5G services in moving vehicles and an 8K virtual reality experience were all demonstrated, allowing a glimpse into the technology of the future.
Moving into mobile communications, Ooredoo Qatar was the first operator in the country – and one of only a few regionally – to launch eSIM, offering customers a seamless mobile telecoms experience. eSIM technology allows mobile phones to work without a traditional SIM card, enabling the user to switch between several lines easily without having to physically remove and reinsert a SIM.
Significant progress was made in home connectivity as more than 400,000 homes were connected to its fibre network, a milestone achieved in November 2018 that strengthened the company’s position as a leading telecommunications company and reinforced Qatar’s vision of becoming one of the world’s best-connected countries. Ooredoo’s fibre network offers customers a leading experience with advanced features including high-speed internet access of up to 10Gbps – the world’s highest speed and only available in 10 countries worldwide, according to an Arthur D. Little report – as well as high-definition audio services and quality 4K entertainment with Ooredoo tv, recognised as the most popular entertainment service in Qatar.
The Arthur D. Little report also noted 99 percent of homes in Qatar are now covered by fibre-optic networks, a double increase against that of 2012 and comparable only to Singapore, Latvia and Lithuania. Around 88 percent of Qatari homes are now connected, the highest in the world alongside Singapore. Year 2018 saw the company continue its support for many health initiatives and projects including the Fahad Bin Jassem Kidney Centre, the Ooredoo Cancer Awareness Centre and many others – with Ooredoo always on the forefront of promoting a healthy lifestyle, physical activity and social responsibility.
