du and University of Dubai will collaborate to achieve early 5G and IoT use cases

Dubai, UAE, 19 October 2016

du and University of Dubai (UD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further collaborate on 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) development in line with the UAE 5G Innovation Gate (U5GIG). du is taking the lead to build a UAE 5G Innovation Lab to facilitate, contribute, test and validate early 5G and IoT equipment, services and use cases. du will collaborate with University of Dubai for research and development of the 5G ecosystem in order to achieve early 5G and IoT use cases.

Speaking about the importance of U5GIG and the MoU, Farid Faraidooni, Chief Operations Officer at du, said: "Technology is influencing every aspect of life, including education. Technology has the power to inspire young minds, and we are proud to bring future technologies to the students at University of Dubai through our latest collaboration. Together with the University, we will establish a robust, open platform for research and development to participate in the standardization and development of 5G and IoT use cases in the UAE."

In line with the MoU, du and University of Dubai have agreed to share a strategic vision for 5G and IoT development towards the next generation 2020 5G evolution. Under the scope of this MoU, du will build a UAE 5G and IoT innovation lab to be the core of the U5GIG - which university staff and students will have access to - and experts from both du and University of Dubai will jointly supervise 5G projects and research programmes on mutually agreed selected practical research topics; in addition, du will offer an internship programme for University students. Moreover, du and the University agree to publish technical research papers and other relevant cases studies in order to showcase the latest innovations of 5G and the IoT ecosystem.   

Speaking about the advancements in the academic institutions, Dr. Eesa Bastaki, President, University of Dubai said: "We have long recognised the power of technology and innovation in education; as such, we are pleased to collaborate with du on U5GIG. Participating in this incredibly exciting initiative will be a boon for our University as it gives us and our students the power to explore future technologies as they are evolving.  Joining hands between industrial expertise such as du with academic expertise and research capabilities of UD the result will contribute to the advancement of UAE to reach the 2020 vision."

The U5GIG has been envisioned to be a consortium of technical and academic organizations in UAE as well as global telecom vendors to plan and use their expertise to define and develop a global 5G network that will radically change lives across the UAE; furthermore, the promise of 5G and IoT brings many new business prospects and to help build a connected world.

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About du
du is a vibrant and multiple award-winning telecommunications service provider serving over 8 million individual customers with its mobile, fixedline, broadband internet, and Home services over its 4G LTE network. du also caters to over 80,000 UAE businesses with its vast range of ICT and managed services. Since its launch in 2007, du has many UAE firsts to its credit, including introduction of Pay by the Second® billing system, IPTV and self-service portal.

du is ideally placed to support the realisation of UAE Vision 2021 and transformation of Dubai into a Smart City. du is also the official strategic partner of the Smart Dubai Office and the platform provider for Smart Dubai. Following the successful testing of the Middle East’s first Internet of Things (IoT) network, du is on course to complete deployment of its IoT network in 2016.

Brand Finance ranked du as the 12th most valuable brand in the Middle East in 2016. du previously won the coveted Brand of the year title by Superbrands Middle East in 2013. The company has been recognised with several other awards such as ISO 27001 certification of Managed Security Services and having the distinction of opening UAE’s first LEED Platinum Certified Green Shop. du also has the unique distinction of the first telecom in the world to release Sustainability Report based  on GRI-G4 guidelines in 2014. du is also credited with du’s world-class teleport is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and ranked among the top teleports in the world by World teleport Association.

As an Emirati business, du is vested in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the UAE. The company has, on average, had an Emiratisation rate of 34% since 2013 across its entire business. Human capital is a key focus area for the company, and the company employs nearly 2000 people from over 60 nationalities. du has won Gallup Great Workplace Award for two consecutive years.

du is 39.5 percent owned by Emirates Investment Authority, 19.75 percent by Mubadala Development Company PJSC, 19.5 percent by Emirates Communications and Technology LLC and the remaining by public shareholders. Listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), the company trades under the name ‘du’.

For more information visit www.du.ae

Media contacts:
Saugat Chatterjee
Brand & Communications
du
Mobile: +971559367045
Email: Saugat.Chatterjee@du.ae

Layal Dalal
Communications Manager
MSLGROUP
Email: layal.dalal@mslgroup.com

© Press Release 2016