Ooredoo Qatar’s CEO Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Thani has claimed that the operator’s coverage in the market has reached “more than 90% of populated areas.”
The Peninsula newspaper quoted the operator’s CEO as saying that its subscribers were currently able to access 5G data speeds to “up to 2.2Gbps” and that speeds of 4.2Gbps were theoretically possible “after the completion of all logistics requirements.”
Al Thani stated: “In the coming period, our focus will be on continuing to grow, develop and expand in the field of digital transformation … and covering more areas in Qatar with a 5G network.” He also lauded the recently launched M5 Netgear as “one of the most advanced devices in mobile broadband service currently available.”
TeleGeography notes that 5G licence holders in Qatar must demonstrate that they have provided 5G coverage across a minimum of 40% of their original 4G footprint before the end of 2020. To meet this figure, Ooredoo would have needed to deploy around 500 5G base stations. The operator pledged an initial deployment goal of 1200 5G base stations, so it has likely exceeded the requirement.
