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Charles Yang

Global 5G subscribers ‘topped 220m by 2020’

MANAMA, April 12, 2021

By the end of 2020, more than 140 commercial 5G networks had been deployed in 59 countries and regions, and the number of 5G subscribers worldwide had exceeded 220 million, said the President of Huawei Middle East.

Charles Yang was speaking on the sidelines of the Samena Leaders’ Summit, the, providing an update on the company’s business globally and across local markets.

Huawei is supporting the development of a much-needed ICT workforce in Bahrain that can enhance the kingdom’s national competitiveness and usher in a more connected future, he added.

He emphasised the strategic importance of the region to the company internationally, noting Huawei’s commitment to the region, and that there are significant opportunities to enable more aggressive digital transformation in support of national development visions and targets, as well as to grow its market presence.

Huawei has already partnered with top universities including Bahrain Polytechnic, University of Bahrain, Arab Open University, AMA University, and Ahlia University to provide training for teachers and students leveraging Huawei’s global expertise.

“Digitization in the Middle East has accelerated remarkably over the last year, with global network traffic having increased by around 50% during the pandemic,” noted Yang.

“The ICT industry thus has an important responsibility to create new social and business value for governments, organizations, and individuals. We are fully committed to this value creation. We already bring the power of technologies like 5G to key events such as the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, and are now aligning with governments to support mega-events like Expo 2020 in the UAE and the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. We will keep innovating to create value for our customers and to support economic recovery and social progress.”

Global 5G deployments

Globally, the number of 5G networks and base stations of the first year is 6 times more than 4G, and user growth of 5G is 500 times faster. Middle East has become a leading 5G region globally. In just 19 months, the number of 5G users has exceeded 2 million which 4G took double times, and it is expected that 5G user grow very fast.  

Today, Huawei is a major 5G solutions partner to telecom carriers and enterprises across the Middle East. It is a position earned as a result of investing early and heavily in technology R&D. The company began 5G research as early as 2009, and has invested $4 billion in 5G so far. Moreover, Huawei’s R&D investments over the past decade have exceeded $110 billion. In 2020 alone, Huawei’s carrier business group ensured the stable operations of more than 1,500 networks across over 170 countries and regions throughout COVID-19 lockdowns.

“The Middle East has been an exciting region for us given the enormous scale of developments that are underway that can be empowered by technology. This is epitomized by the rapid development of 5G that has exceeded many expectations. Computing power also plays an integral role in enabling businesses when it works in parallel with 5G. The region today is more connected than at any point in history,” said Yang.

After contracting in 2020, overall ICT spending in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa is expected to make a comeback in 2021, returning to positive growth of over $209.5 billion, according to IDC.

Yang has also stressed that Huawei will continue investing in programs such as its Seeds for the Future initiative and ICT Competition, as well as in Huawei ICT Academies and laboratory funding, to develop 70,000 ICT talents and build 100 Joint Innovation Centers for the Middle East by 2025.

“Cybersecurity and privacy protection have been and will always be our top priorities. Yet cybersecurity is not an issue for any single company or country alone,” Yang highlighted. “Huawei has not had any major cybersecurity incidents while working with more than 500 telecom providers, including most of the top 50 telecom operators worldwide. To ensure transparency and joint collaboration, Huawei is always ready to sign cybersecurity cooperation agreements with governments and customers in the Middle East. Together, we will keep pushing the boundaries of technology and driving digital transformation forward with our customers and partners.”

In March, Huawei released its 2020 Annual Report noting that sales revenue in 2020 rounded off at approximately $136.7 billion, up 3.8% year-on-year, and its net profit reached $9.9 billion, up 3.2% year-on-year. To date, 700+ cities and 253 Fortune Global 500 companies have chosen Huawei as a partner for digital transformation. – TradeArabia News Service




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