The UAE telecommunications industry is poised for strong growth, with studies showing that the sector is expected to register a CAGR of 3.5 percent between 2022 and 2027. Widespread internet consumption and the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), cloud applications and 5G are driving this surge. Also propelling the sector forward are continual investments by the UAE government in upgrading IT infrastructure to establish artificial intelligence (AI)- and IoT-powered smart city initiatives.
Last year, telecom services provider Etisalat announced ambitious plans to bring 6G technology to the country. This would ensure faster data speeds, lower latency and higher reliability than 5G. The UAE is already a global leader in fibre-optic deployment, with over 95 percent fibre penetration—higher than anywhere else in the world. The Telecommunications and Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE continues to make infrastructure investments to build the most advanced networks in the region.
The reliance on high-speed data is only set to grow. The surge in e-sports, remote working, video calls and over-the-top (OTT) streaming entertainment are all putting more pressure on home internet connections.
This digital transition is likely to become permanent in many sectors, as employers offer greater work flexibility. The need for reliable and high-speed access has never been greater. It presents network providers with a unique opportunity to advance new technologies.
Growing pressures on communication service providers
Currently, CSPs are faced with an immense challenge when it comes to maintaining and upgrading multiple networks, due to the ever-increasing broadband demands from all types of subscribers.
Traditionally, networks have been developed according to the type of subscriber and service. This has led to multiple networks and costly maintenance and upgrades. And it’s not sustainable as bandwidth demand for broadband, wireless and cloud-based applications continues to surge.
Furthermore, with more people working and learning from home, the lines between types of users are obfuscating, increasing demands on CSPs. Providers must now support new latency-sensitive wireless and cloud based applications and bring them to market faster to fend off challenges from traditional and non-traditional competitors.
PON accelerates convergence across the network
Thanks to its efficient point-to-multipoint topology, passive optical network, or “PON,” is a proven technology for supporting fibre to the home (FTTH). It utilises a single optical signal to support multiple users, cost effectively providing the highest speeds.
Given these tremendous benefits, PON is also not limited to residential access. With uploads as fast as downloads, today’s pluggable PON transceivers can support service-level agreements (SLAs) for enterprise, cloud-based and smart city applications. Enabled by routers in a building, outside cabinet or even a pole, advanced features like enterprise-quality operations, administration and management (OAM) can now offer similar capabilities as more traditional active-based solutions.
As they evolve to meet future needs, CSPs are seeking out flexible and scalable solutions that allow them to unify network assets and software. Pluggable solutions make it possible for PON to be added to existing routing, switching and access aggregation equipment, converging access with metro under common network management—and empowering providers to grow network capacity on demand to keep pace with subscriber and application requirements.
The pandemic has certainly created opportunities for network providers to address underlying challenges with regard to latency and speed. As the UAE looks to fulfil its smart city goals, reduced delay and enhanced speed will play a key role in building an even more interconnected society. PON technology can be an effective solution for enhancing IoT adoption across multiple sectors—from government services to healthcare, education, entertainment and transport.
