19^th December 2020

The International Chamber of Commerce Qatar (ICC Qatar) held a webinar entitled ‘Realizing the potential of 5G technology from a business perspective’. The webinar began with presentations from; Mr. Jawad Jalal Abbassi, Head of Middle East and North Africa, GSMA; Eng. Salma Al Sulaiti, Head of Standards and Next Generation Technology Section, Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA); Mr. Hassan Al Emadi, Assistant Director Government Accounts, Ooredoo and concluded with a question and answer session moderated by Mr. Charly Gordon, Deputy Director of the ICC Innovation for All Hub, International Chamber of Commerce. Through the knowledge-sharing online event, ICC Qatar members and the business community were able to recognize various practical opportunities that could be harnessed, by all industry sectors, from one of the latest technologies. During the webinar, the speakers shared their insights on the mobile industry and its significant development over the last few decades. “We are pleased with our participation in this webinar, where we discussed the importance of 5G in promoting the development of businesses and telecom sector, providing consumers with advanced, innovative and reliable services and contributing to achieve socio-economic benefits delivered by a digital economy. In addition, we discussed the importance of the cooperation between the regulators, policymakers, system integrators, telecom service providers and other stakeholders to ensure the smooth deployment of 5G and achieve the economic benefits of 5G technology,” said Eng. Salma Al-Sulaiti. “The timely and successful deployment of 5G requires a clearly defined policy framework and a strategy to ensure the efficient roll out, and in order to ensure that the technology is fulfilling its promises, all security matters accompanying the 5G architecture need to be addressed in a standardization way,” she added. Mr. Jawad Abbassi shared a presentation on the Middle East and North Africa Region mobile economy, and the trends and best practices in stimulating 5G enabled economic growth. During Mr. Hassan Al Emadi’s presentation, he explained how 5G technology could be leveraged to enhance connectivity as a result of the faster network speed, enable digital transformation and how Ooredoo was able to use the technology to mitigate the impact the pandemic has had on the business community. “We are now leveraging the latest technology, such as 5G, to enable transformation which was not possible before” said Mr. Hassan. He added that “Ooredoo’s 5G network provides an opportunity to give customers access to high speed connectivity even in the most remote areas of Qatar.” Mr. Hassan showcased the advances made in Qatar with regards to 5G technology. He revealed that “businesses can enjoy media-rich applications with low latency and high speeds in fixed-grade service over 5G network, enabling the most creative use of the best in communication, education and entertainment, all while allowing the spirit of innovative enterprise to maximize its potential.” Mr. Hassan outlined a few ongoing projects in which Ooredoo, a global telecommunications provider, is leveraging 5G technology. “In Qatar and over the last 15 years, Ooredoo has supported and enabled a number of major global sporting events. For the 2019 Emir Cup Final, Ooredoo equipped the stadium with the latest mobile technologies to provide the best customer experience making the 2019 Emir Cup Final the first major sporting event with 5G coverage.” “Ooredoo is involved in a number of strategic projects in Qatar, largest one being the Smart Nation Platform. Additionally, in 2022, Qatar will host one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the FIFA World Cup. ‘Expect Amazing’ is the key slogan and Ooredoo will collaborate and join the nation in making this a reality.” reported Mr. Hassan. Webinar participants also heard from Mr. Charly Gordon. He revealed that “5G will be a formidable engine of innovation, competitiveness and sustainable economic growth, provided that businesses of all sizes and all sectors can properly harness its empowering effects and navigate its transformational nature”. Mr. Charly reiterated that “collective action and continued multistakeholder engagement is essential for all users to fully benefit from the promises of 5G.” HE Sheikha Tamader Al Thani, Director of International Relations and Chamber Affairs of Qatar Chamber and ICC Qatar, stated that “The current COVID-19 pandemic has made 5G technology more essential than ever, enhancing communications and providing access at a time when going digital is necessary for most businesses and workplaces. She added that “Digital transformation is key to sustainable economic growth and development and has become a vital lifeline to many SMEs worldwide during the pandemic.” HE Sheikha Tamader Al Thani also highlighted that ICC Qatar will continue to bring knowledge solutions to the Qatari business community through these multi-stakeholders knowledge sharing sessions.\n