e& will partially own telecom assets in Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia once regulatory approvals are granted
DUBAI-UNITED ARAB EMIRATES—Emirati-based telco e& is currently undergoing a process through which the telco aims to transform from a regional telco in the Middle East to a global tech company.
During during a keynote session at the Huawei’s 14th Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF), held this week in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, the telco’s CTIO, Khalid Murshed, provided details of the company’s three-year strategy, which also includes ambitions to boost the telco’s presence in Europe.
Murshed noted that e& had previously signed a deal with PPF Group to take a controlling stake in telecoms units in four European countries.
The executive said that the transaction, which still requires regulatory approval, will serve “as our platform to expand internationally in Europe” as well as across other key markets.
In August, e& signed an agreement under which the company will acquire a stake of 50% plus one share in PPF Telecom Group’s assets in Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia. At that time, the companies said that the transaction set the foundation for a partnership that will seek to build a major telecommunications business in central and eastern Europe. PPF and e& had said that the partnership also aims to realize significant synergies in various areas, including procurement efficiencies, wholesale and roaming arrangements.
Internally, the telco has been pursuing a three-pillar strategy focused on development in 5G, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) with the main aim of continuing its technology transformation, the executive said.
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Murshed highlighted that e& sees 5G technology as an aggregation of all technologies, adding that it will serve as the platform that will link all applications together.
The executive also said that the telco is currently implementing an aggressive AI strategy, both for its employees and to improve customer service. In total, e& has identified around 190 use cases for AI technology, the executive added.
e& recently announced that it is paving the way for the launch of commercial 5G private networks with a recent pilot deployment of 5G millimeter wave covering more than 10 kilometers.
The Arab carrier explained that the 5G mmWave pilot used the 26 GHz band and delivered high speeds. The company also noted that mmWave spectrum offers “huge potential” in multiple applications for consumers as well as enterprises.
telco recently said it had achieved 10 Gbps throughput on the 6 GHz band, a milestone which, according to the company, positions the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the forefront of 5G-Advanced network capabilities.
e& said that the trial focused on “unlocking the full potential of the 6 GHz frequency range and utilizing the 400 MHz bandwidth to achieve the unparalleled 10Gbps speed while enhancing the user experience.”