du and University of Sharjah will collaborate on 5G & IoT development and Cloud Computing
Dubai, UAE - du and University of Sharjah signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further collaborate on 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) development as part of the UAE 5G Innovation Gate (U5GIG). du is taking the lead to build a UAE 5G and IoT Innovation Lab at techno Hub of DSO to test, validate, and develop 5G and IoT use cases and services. du will collaborate with University of Sharjah for the research and development of the 5G systems including massive MIMO and cloud computing.
The U5GIG has been envisioned to be a consortium of industrial and academic organizations in UAE supported with international telecom organizations to plan and use their expertise to define and develop a global 5G network that will radically change lives across the UAE by building a super connected nation.
Speaking about the importance of U5GIG and the MoU, Ibrahim Nassir, Chief Human Capital and Administration Officer at du, said: "We are proud to participate in the leadership vision to establish UAE as a technology development hub and this can only happen through collaboration between industry and academia. We are inspired not only to implement but also to develop state of the art technologies in UAE and make it available to UAE students at University of Sharjah through our MOU. Together with the UoS, we will establish an 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 Sharjah 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 at Techno Hub of DSO to be the core of the U5GIG - which university staff and students will have access to - and experts from both du and University of Sharjah will jointly supervise graduate and under graduate programs with focus on practical research topics; in addition, du will offer an internship program for University students. Moreover, du and the University agree to publish technical research papers and other relevant cases studies to showcase the latest innovations of 5G and the IoT ecosystem.
"This MOU represents a valuable opportunity for both University of Sharjah and Du, to collaborate in a state of art, research and development in telecommunication technologies by involving engineers, students and researchers for advancement of 5G systems." said Prof. Maamar Bettayeb, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, University of Sharjah.
"We are proud to have accomplished this MoU with du, a leading Telecom provider in the UAE. We look forward to undergo collaborative research in the area of 5G and IoT, which will lead to high-quality, joint publications, as well as contribute to the training of highly qualified personnel through the involvement of students and researchers,” said Dr. Mohamed Saad, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the “Distributed and Networked Systems” Research Group, University of Sharjah.
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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’.
© Press Release 2017
