Umniah announces launch of 5G services in Jordan

AMMAN — Umniah has announced the launch of its 5G services in the Kingdom during a press conference on Wednesday, making it the first national telecom operator to offer this service in Irbid, Zarqa and  in the capital, Amman. 

During the event, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Ahmad Hanandeh highlighted the role of this technology in supporting Jordan’s digitalisation vision.

He noted that 5G deployment can facilitate  access to innovative digital services such as smart cities, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, and their applications in fields like healthcare, transportation, infrastructure and education, among other vital sectors. 

On his part, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Bassam Al Sarhan highlighted the importance of this achievement as a significant milestone on the road towards digital connectivity, noting the positive impact it will have in transforming services across various vital sectors.

In an interview with The Jordan Times, Umniah’s Chief Executive Officer Faisal Qamhiyah noted that Umniah, guided by its corporate social responsibility, aims to ensure that the benefits of this advanced connectivity reach all segments of society, including underserved areas and marginalised communities. 

“Since our inception, we aimed to democratise technology by making it accessible to more people, which is why we chose to launch 5G services first in Irbid and Zarqa and then in Amman,” he said. 

Qamhiyah added that Umniah is committed to providing 5G services to no less than 50 per cent of the Kingdom’s population, in a period that doesn’t exceed four years of the licence date, in addition to increasing the covering rate by about 5 per cent annually until it reaches no less than 75 per cent of the population. 

He stressed that the deployment of 5G technology, distinguished by its higher speed and low latency, can be leveraged to drive transformative changes across various sectors and industries, “ultimately benefiting the overall socioeconomic development of the nation”.

For example, the 5G technology enables innovative telemedicine solutions for improved patient care and offers enhanced learning experiences through immersive virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications, Qamhiyah continued. 

He also noted the importance of investing in the Kingdom’s human capital in order to reap the full benefits of this technology, untimely attracting investments, increasing GDP growth and reducing unemployment.

The Jordan Times also spoke with Kevin Murphy, Vice President and Head of Levant Countries at Ericsson, which is Umniah’s partner. 

He stressed that the deployment of this technology can help accelerate Jordan’s vision for digitalisation and technological innovation. 

“With ultra-high speeds, low latency, and unprecedented capacity, 5G will enable the creation of innovative new services and applications that will enhance the efficiency of  vital enterprise sectors and accelerate the development of Industry 4.0 technologies like the Internet of Things,” Murphy added, noting that studies have shown that 5G-deployment also correlates with GDP uptake. 

Moreover, he pointed out that this technology will particularly have an immediate impact on Jordan’s “vibrant” gaming industry by increasing the speed of data transfer, reducing latency and offering near-real, immersive gaming experiences.