Global mobile broadband forum ends in Dubai
The Global Mobile Broadband Forum, dubbed MBBF 2023, has ended in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The event, hosted by Huawei, in cooperation with GSMA, GTI and the SAMENA Telecommunications Council, was on the theme: ‘Bring 5.5G into reality.’
The forum brings together key stakeholders and ICT industry leaders across the globe annually to discuss the development direction of the mobile communications industry and the infinite possibilities of mobile connectivity.
The 14th edition of the conference, held over two days, was categorised into keynotes, industry summits and innovation exhibitions, highlighting key 5G rollout successes in their areas of operation and shared insights into how 5G had been adopted across sectors.
Evolving technology
In virtual presentations, the rotating Chairman of Huawei, Ken Hu and the Director of GSMA, Mats Granryd from Shenzhen and London respectively, shared their insights into how 5G integrated innovation could build a digital world.
Highlighting the speed at which 5G was evolving, Mr Hu said, "it's clear that the adoption of 5G is much faster than 4G and now we have around 1.5 billion 5G users around the world which is really amazing".
He further stated that “technology is changing so fast and new demands are evolving every day. So our networks need to keep evolving too. Our industry as a whole needs to get ready for the future and maximise the value of investments in 5G and that’s why we are working so hard on 5G-Advanced”.
5G
The Executive Director of Technology Development Affairs at the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority of the UAE, Said Bin Ghelaita, outlined 5G successes and lessons learnt so far in the UAE since it was deployed.
He stated that by deepening network technology innovation, accelerating the deployment of 5G advanced technologies, and promoting maturity related products, the region would continue in its role as a global 5G pioneer.
The Chief Commercial Officer of UAE’s operator, DU, Karim Benkirane, revealed plans for 5G-Advanced (5.5G) and successes DU had made with fixed wireless access services over the years.
The Executive Chairman of CCS Insight, Shaun Collins, a research and market analysis company, gave an overview of the latest trends driving change with some insights into the private network market and opportunities there in.
Mr Peng urged global carriers and industry partners to rise to the occasion and address increasing demands on networks and make the most of the future trends.
"Let's start today, build tomorrow's networks for future services, and unleash 5G's infinite potential for continuous success," he said.
Focused Group Discussions
The forum also featured specialised focused group discussions such as the 5G industry summit which reviewed the need for the coordinated development of policies, ecosystems and networks to accelerate global 5G development.