CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: PROF. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Qatar

Ooredoo first in region to launch CAT 16 technology

Published: 22 Jun 2017 - 09:08 am | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 07:50 pm

The Peninsula

Ooredoo yesterday announced that one of its 4.5G mobile network sites has been successfully upgraded to support a data speed of up to 1Gbps with CAT 16 devices.

This speed in a ‘real world’ environment is a first in the region milestone for the company and Ooredoo plan to roll-out the upgrade across the majority of its 4.5G mobile network sites in Qatar soon.

With a speed of 1Gbps, Ooredoo customers will be able to download an MP3 file of 3MB in less than a second, a 950MB HD TV episode in eight seconds, and a 15GB Blu-Ray Movie in two minutes. To ensure that everyone can take advantage of these life-changing speeds, Ooredoo will soon also begin to sell devices that support Cat 16 technology in its Ooredoo retail shops and online.

Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, said: "We launched the Ooredoo Supernet to provide the best possible network experience for our customers and we have solidly invested in ensuring this. Ooredoo is the only company in the country to have service enhancing technology such as VoLTE and Cat 16 ready for our customers and Qatar to connect to the world, and with each other, at the latest speeds.” 

The mobile network upgrade, which was completed successfully in partnership with Nokia, is a key step in Ooredoo’s roadmap to launch their 5G-ready services on the Supernet. 

“We’re continuing to test our 5G capabilities with the latest 5G-enabled technology and hope to demonstrate to Qatar exactly how 5G speeds will enhance our country’s industries in near future,” Waleed Al Sayed added.

This is the latest in a host of Supernet updates for the company.