NEWS
Accelerating 5G investments in MEA fuels data demand and digital revolution
5G will account for a significant share of mobile subscriptions and data traffic. The study highlights the transformative impact of 5G investments in driving Digital Transformation and supporting economic growth across MEA.
New research from Nokia reveals that by 2030, 82 % of connections will be on 4G / 5G networks, reflecting the shift towards data-centric usage and smartphones becoming more accessible.
5G is also an enabler for IoT, smart cities and enterprise solutions. Its adoption is rising due to strong operator investments and government-led Digital Transformation initiatives, positioning it as a key driver of future connectivity.
Nokia has released the Mobile Broadband Index Report 2025, which provides an in-depth analysis of the evolving mobile broadband ecosystem across the Middle East and Africa( MEA) region.
This year’ s report underscores the region’ s accelerating shift towards 5G connectivity, with projections indicating that by 2030,
By 2030, in MEA, 5G subscriptions will reach 605 million, with 53 % of total data traffic expected to be driven by 5G. In the Gulf Cooperation Council( GCC), 91 % of subscriptions are expected to be on 5G, the highest in MEA.
5G Fixed Wireless Access( FWA) is experiencing rapid growth, with its market share projected to surge from 15 % in 2023 to 35 % by 2030, signalling a significant industry shift towards advanced fixed wireless solutions.
Ericsson and e & enter multi-year agreement to modernise 5G Core network
Ericsson and global technology group e & have entered a multiyear agreement to upgrade e & UAE’ s 5G Core network by deploying Ericsson’ s advanced cloud-native technologies.
The agreement, made at GITEX Global 2025, encompasses the modernisation of core network applications from Ericsson’ s dualmode 5G Core solution, such as the Unified Data Management( UDM), IP Multimedia Subsystem( IMS), User Data Consolidation( UDC) and Ericsson Secure Entitlement Server( SES) on e & UAE’ s network, running on a combination of Ericsson Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution and e &’ s own cloud.
Khaled Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Core Networks and Platforms at e & UAE, said:“ Upgrading our 5G core with Ericsson is about making everyday connectivity simpler, faster and more dependable for everyone in the UAE. It lets us launch new services sooner, reduce delays and improve call quality. It also strengthens how we support businesses, from smart industry to public services, with secure and reliable connectivity.”
These will allow e & UAE to leverage cutting-edge 5G capabilities while ensuring robust platform stability through automation, continuous software updates and optimisations.
The modernisation brings e & closer to fully deploying a next-generation, cloud-native 5G Core that enables ultrafast, reliable and secure connectivity tailored to customer needs. It will deliver low latency, consistent service quality and highly personalised network offerings, necessary to drive applications such as immersive gaming and mission-critical Internet of Things( IoT) services.
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