Omantel successfully tests enhanced 5G

Muscat: Riding high on the 5G wave, Omantel has successfully tested the 5G high band at its headquarters in Madinat al Irfan under the supervision of TRA.

The 5G test using the mmWave, which successfully concluded recently in association with Ericsson, demonstrated enhanced network capabilities with mmWave bandwidth more than multiple times higher than the existing 5G speed.

The trial demonstrated Omantel’s ability to deliver multi-gigabit speeds to the end-user with eight-cell carrier aggregation functionalities using Ericsson’s state-of-the-art Street macro mm-Wave solution and advanced 5G software features. The trial used a carrier bandwidth of 800MHz at 26GHz.

Omantel successful 5G test paves the way for enhanced 5G capabilities for consumers and businesses across the Sultanate. The next step may see 5G greatly enhance the user experience at mobile broadband hotspots when using the fixed and mobile internet especially in crowded spaces such as during festivals and events. The technology will also enable low-latency industry applications like Augmented Reality (AR), its applications, robots and other future technologies.

Dr Ali Al Hashmi General Manager of Networks at Omantelsaid, “mmWave 5G technology is a cornerstone of upcoming 5G networks, allowing for faster data speeds and much higher bandwidth than ever before. The success of the 5G test with Ericsson paves the way for many more applications as 5G has opened up possibilities of newer, smarter solutions in every area of daily life and business. Omantel is happy to have partnered with Ericsson for this and look forward to exciting new applications as Oman Vision 2040 opens a new chapter in Oman’s ICT landscape.”

Abdullah Al-Balushi, Country Manager of Ericsson Oman says: “5G is ready to transform industries and society. Omantel will enjoy a boost in capacity and multi-gigabit speeds over the air with fixed wireless access. Ericsson’s millimetre wave technology supports Omantel in achieving record-breaking peak data rates and massive 5G capacity paving the way to enable Oman Vision 2040.”

The last few years have seen Omantel emerge as the leader in 5G network capabilities. Several live field trials, followed by the introduction of Massive MIMO technology in some governorates of Oman to bring high-speed cross-network data transmission for its subscribers laid the groundwork for the official launch of fixed wireless 5G services in Oman in late 2019, followed by 5G for mobile in 2021.

The field experiments, first conducted in November 2017 at the Omantel headquarters, focused on testing the technology’s capabilities on the ground in terms of readiness, speed and response. Based on the success of these live trials, which were also conducted in economically strategic areas like Duqm and Sohar, Omantel eventually went ahead with offering the power of this technology to its subscribers.  
The results of these trials underscored Omantel 5G network’s reliability and the benefits it will add to the Fourth Industrial Revolution through technologies like Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things.

5G is set to radically change lives and businesses. It is already revolutionising sectors like oil & gas, education, healthcare, logistics and entertainment by offering speed, powering digital solutions, quick response mechanisms and by reducing operational costs of large projects.