As the telecommunication industry's regional leader, Qatar is focusing on progressing towards the penetrations of 5G to the Middle East region.
In 2018, Ooredoo Qatar deployed over 90 base stations of the first commercial 5G network globally, providing Over-The-Top (OTT) services for Qatari citizens as some of the largest population of users in the region.
However, the COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted the telecoms' supply chain significantly. Experts are predicting a challenge for network operators to manage productivity with hurdles in infrastructure development.
While this may slow down Qatar's telecom sector's growth, its rapid increase of technology-driven urban population and mobile entertainment on-demand has created a positive sentiment towards the country's government forecast that by 2029, the majority of mobile connections within the area will be on 5G.
5G as A Vital Role in Future Economy
5G plays a crucial role in enabling other technological sectors, ranging from autonomous vehicles to consumer goods and services.
The industry's growth is attained by premium connectivity as consumers indulge in forward-centric regulations for the services. Qatar's telecom market has been growing substantially due to increasing demand for network operators aiming to offer a more efficient mobile service.
With a non-fragmented call, leading companies can benefit from a significant market share and innovative game to win the goods and services industries' future.
Traditional telecom services multinational companies are racing to converge the communication system into a unified network. The development of mobile solutions and the internet has provided a space to create new, disruptive solutions and easing penetration of cyber services through seamless modes.
Qatar aims to prioritize providing its 5G services to the Asia Pacific and the United States, as they account for the global telecom market's significant share. Qatar needs to optimize the e-commerce and retailer buy-in platforms to attract consumers in the APAC and US regions, both of which are densely populated and can benefit from the efficiency that 5G offers—eventually creating massive demands in the economy.
Service providers now have an opportunity to become critical actors in the global economy. Network connectivity is becoming the band-aid to recover our societies. It allows a more broad approach to how consumers do economic activities. 5 G is a shift to next-generation networking that can transform industries to operate around the globe wirelessly.
The Cost of Shifting
With the potential being said, telecommunications providers need to resolve the dilemma regarding the intelligent edge. The presence of 5G would require businesses to recalibrate their current business structure and determine whether the high costs of making 5G operational is their upfront urgency during these volatile conditions.
Qatari Government’s Full Support
Qatari governments have released policies and initiatives to promote 5G, requiring most state-owned telecoms companies to use the technology as an infrastructural foundation for innovations such as intelligent roads, service drones, and virtual realities.
Conjunction with Qatar National Vision 2030, the Communications Regulatory Authority has issued a 5G spectrum operation license to roll out 5G-enabled devices to customers through Vodafone Qatar.
As the global telecoms companies hesitate in ultimately shifting to the 5G technology, Qatar's movement in becoming the leading nations that wholely support 5G operations opens opportunities for innovations and growth.
Qatari's synergy between the private telecoms sectors, the officials' support, and the growing population of the tech-savvy market, Qatar is undoubtedly becoming the global leading telecom nation.
