Saudi Arabia to launch 5G for corporate services in 2020

Nasser bin Sulaiman Al-Nasser, STC Group CEO, said STC has increased the number of sites equipped with 5G in various regions across Saudi Arabia. He said the fifth-generation (5G) corporate services will be launched in early 2020 and that today the Kingdom is considered among the countries best prepared for the launch of these services.

During the STC Media Club meeting held on the sidelines of GITEX 2019 in Dubai, Al-Nasser said the Kingdom’s support to the telecommunications sector has contributed to the development and growth of this sector, as well as improvement of its infrastructure in record time, in order to achieve the digital transformation goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 2020.

In this context, he pointed out that InspireU, the Kingdom’s first corporate incubator/accelerator for startups addressing ICT/digital innovation, features 28 projects, with a total investment value of SR60 million ($16 million).

Al-Nasser said: “The market value of these investments is SR300 million. InspireU includes 16 million employees, and has contributed to the creation of 160,000 employment opportunities, including part-time jobs.”

Abdullah Al-Kanhal, senior VP of corporate affairs at STC, said InspireU, along with STC, supports innovative youth projects with funds and expertise.

New media specialist Dr. Ammar Bakkar showcased a presentation entitled “The Impact of 5G Networks on the Future of Telecommunications and Media.” Furthermore, three projects supported by the Saudi telecom giant were also highlighted. These include: Micro-lending application Sulfah; Carwah, which provides integrated data to facilitate car rental services; and Ayen, which aims at helping in the assessment of the effectiveness of prefabricated houses.