The transformative potential of 5G to improve how we live and work and fulfil Qatar’s potential came closer to reality yesterday as Vodafone Qatar announced the switching on its first, live 5G network.

In a special event, Vodafone Qatar set the stage for how 5G will completely change all our lives for the better, enabling new applications such as remote patient healthcare and driverless cars, significantly enhance how industries operate and much more.

Attended by HE Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, the Minister of Transport and Communications, and other senior officials, the landmark event was perfectly choreographed to demonstrate how 5G is set to change everything, thanks to incredible speeds but more significantly ultra-low latency – meaning a shorter time needed to stream data between two points.

And to showcase what can be achieved with 5G’s ultra-low latency, the event included a faultless performance by the world’s first-ever 5G orchestra made up of five leading musicians in different locations performing music together that was perfectly synchronized thanks to the technology. And in another first for Qatar, attendees were entertained throughout the event by a digital Master of Ceremonies.

Vodafone Qatar’s CEO Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim Al Thani laid out the business’ vision for how 5G will accelerate Qatar’s journey towards becoming one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. He also highlighted the transformative potential of 5G in changing how we all connect to people and things around us forever.

Vodafone Qatar COO Diego Camberos also showcased a number of potential applications of 5G technology, explaining how these will improve the lives of the country’s residents and support Qatar’s progress.

With the Middle East’s first World Cup coming to Qatar in 2022, Mr. Camberos outlined the vision for how Vodafone’s 5G network will deliver the ultimate experience for millions of sports fans watching and sharing the action live in person, or accessing it via uninterrupted, super-fast connectivity.

The positive potential of 5G for the transportation sector was also explained, with 5G enabling sophisticated communication between vehicles, traffic management and coordination, advanced driver assistance, and ultimately fully autonomous self-driving.

And with the huge strides that Qatar has made in the drive to be self-sufficient, it was shown how 5G will only accelerate this. In the agricultural sector, 5G will monitor, track and automate systems at lightning fast speed, support the development of smart-farming and allow farmers to better measure things on a day-to-day basis remotely.

Describing this major landmark in bringing 5G to Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim Al Thani said: “Today we have laid down a very clear marker in shaping our country’s future. This transformative technology has the potential to touch all walks of life, improving it for each and every one of us. Qatar is focused on the future, and we are fast becoming one of the most digitally connected countries on the planet. There’s no business better placed to move further or faster in delivering this.”

With roll out now well underway, Vodafone Qatar expects to connect its first customers when 5G devices are available. In achieving this ambition, it is building on a long-established track-record of innovation.

The business is leveraging the expertise of its international peers to deploy 5G capabilities in the country. International Vodafone offices across the globe are currently working to completely revolutionise the way people work and live by transforming the internet. From conducting trials to leading research groups, the converged digital services provider is world-leading on the development of 5G, having completed the world’s first 5G call earlier this year.

Cover image courtesy of Vodafone Qatar

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