The ICT industry cannot survive without nonstop innovation, which is one of our strategic focus areas globally and locally here in Egypt, within our research and development (R&D) initiatives. The next four or five years will see a number of technological breakthroughs in Egypt. 5G technology will enable a variety of advances ranging from remote healthcare to driverless vehicles, and Ericsson will continue to play its part in making this possible. Commercial 5G deployments with leading service providers have taken place in the region during 2019 and 2020. As part of this, 5G is expected to reach 130 million subscriptions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by 2026, representing 15% of total mobile subscriptions. These forecasts are included in the November 2020 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, along with projections for data traffic growth, and regional subscriptions. As consumers and enterprises try out new digital behaviours, imposed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, an increased importance has emerged for mobile and fixed networks as central components of critical national infrastructure. In a recent study conducted by Ericsson Consumer Lab, six in 10 smartphone users displayed a clear positive attitude towards the role 5G could have played during the crisis. About half of them strongly agree that 5G could have offered both better network capacity and higher speeds compared to 4G. They also believe that society overall could have benefited hugely from 5G technology. There was a similar level of agreement related to 5G's role from a medical perspective. 5G was made for innovation and, as the value of digital infrastructure has been further evidenced during these recent times, 5G investments can play a significant role in restarting economies. Ericsson established its presence in Egypt in 1897 when the country's first telephone exchange system was established, connecting Cairo to Alexandria for the first time. Ericsson introduced many firsts in the Middle East and North East Africa area. This includes some of the first GSM networks, the first third and fourth generation networks (3G and 4G), and is currently on the road to 5G. We are present in all stages of mobile communication, and currently offer a wide range of Information and Communication Technology hardware, software, and services. Ericsson's ideas, technology and people have created monumental impact, and real turning points that have transformed lives, industries and society as a whole. Ericsson has played, and continues to play, an active role in creating and managing all generations of communication infrastructure across Egypt. We continue to lead in future 5G networks. We also work closely with Egyptian service providers to pave the way towards 5G technology. By implementing 5G technology in the country, endless opportunities will become a reality. As 5G offers greater throughput and lower latency, it will bring more use cases to the Internet of Things (IoT), and enable massive connectivity. At the same time, it will allow new applications for consumers and enterprises such as smart vehicles and transport architecture, remote healthcare and new levels of human-IoT interaction. The aim is for 5G networks to be highly efficient, faster, support more users, more devices, more services, and new use cases without a corresponding impact on cost or carbon footprint. 5G will revolutionise five key industries, namely: TV and media; manufacturing; healthcare; telecommunications; and transportation and infrastructure. Sameh Shoukry, Ericsson Egypt Country Manager
