Abu Dhabi, UAE – As part of a strategic collaboration, e& UAE, the flagship telecom arm of global technology group e&, in partnership with ZTT, a leading provider of advanced fibre optic solutions, today announced the successful completion of the region’s first hollow-core fibre (HCF) field trial.

Conducted over a live external plant link between two facilities, the trial validated measurable latency gains versus conventional solid-glass fibre, with up to a 30 per cent reduction observed under test conditions.

This pioneering initiative marks a significant milestone in the region's fibre optic infrastructure, offering substantial improvements in speed, bandwidth, and energy efficiency. The field trial demonstrated the technology’s potential to support future high-performance connectivity across the UAE. HCF, developed with state-of-the-art technology, allows light to travel through air rather than glass.

Abdul Rahman Al Humaidan, Senior Vice President (SVP), Access Network Development, e& UAE, said: “This collaboration with ZTT advances our work on low-latency transport for the UAE’s digital infrastructure. Validating HCF in the field is an important step toward enabling new performance benchmarks for businesses and public services. We are proud to be the first in the region to deploy HCF at this scale.”

Cao Shanshan, Chief Technology Officer, ZTT, said: “The results confirm HCF’s readiness for real-world scenarios. Working with e& UAE, we demonstrated meaningful latency gains that can benefit data centres, cloud connectivity, and other time-sensitive applications.”

Key Features of the HCF solution:

  • Ultra-low latency: Enhances performance for high-speed data applications and critical communications.
  • Improved signal integrity: Reduced dispersion and attenuation over long distances.
  • High bandwidth capacity: Supports the increasing demand for data-intensive applications.
  • Enhanced durability: Engineered for robust outdoor deployment under harsh environmental conditions.
  • Future-ready infrastructure: Ideal for supporting next-generation technologies such as 5G, cloud computing, and AI-powered services.

This deployment in the UAE underscores e& UAE’s commitment to accelerating digital transformation and driving innovation across the UAE’s ICT sector. The collaboration with ZTT also highlights a shared vision of advancing telecommunications infrastructure with sustainable, future-proof technologies.

As the UAE accelerates its digital transformation, HCF becomes a critical enabler for high-capacity, mission-critical communications across key hyperscalers, data centres, and cloud infrastructures. Its superior performance also supports emerging technologies such as AI-driven applications, edge computing, autonomous systems, and future high-bandwidth enterprise services.​

About e& UAE

e& UAE is the flagship telecom arm of e& in the UAE, built on a 5-decades legacy of connectivity excellence. Our mission is to deliver world-class superior connectivity experiences that fuel the UAE’s future-focused innovation.

Leveraging the latest world-class technologies, e& UAE aims to transform lives and industries, turning every connection into an opportunity for growth and every interaction into a transformative possibility.

We are focused on expanding our core services and digital marketplaces by enriching consumer value propositions that cater to new lifestyles and emerging demands beyond core telecom services, including health, insurance and gaming.

As a trusted enterprise partner, e& UAE continues to power entire industries with 5G and AI, delivering a tailored ecosystem of solutions to meet their connectivity needs and more, empowering them to automate, innovate, transform, and scale.

Strengthening our leadership position as an AI-powered telco, e& UAE delivers seamless connectivity, cutting-edge AI solutions, and sustainable innovation to uplift people and communities, and empower businesses and industries, so everyone thrives in a digital-first world.

To learn more about e& UAE, please visit: https://www.etisalat.ae

About ZTT

ZTT ranks among the world’s top 10 optical fiber and cable manufacturers, with an annual revenue of over USD 14 billion. The company entered the telecommunications industry in 1992 and supplies optical fiber cables and a comprehensive range of telecommunications products to customers worldwide. ZTT is among leading manufacturers’ in Research and Development with an approximate spent of 100 Million USD annually.