du, a telecom and digital services provider, has entered into a three-year agreement with Huawei following deployment of the world’s first 25Gbps E-band microwave link in a 5G-Advanced (5G-A) site rollout.
Spanning three years, the partnership is not just a procurement arrangement, but a comprehensive framework for joint innovation to support increasing demand for data transmission. It also marks a critical step in du’s efforts to enhance its 5G-A network infrastructure, enabling faster, more reliable and scalable 5G-A connectivity across the UAE.
As a pioneer in 5G-A commercial rollout, du faces challenges whereby legacy links lack the necessary bandwidth to support the increased capacity requirement of 5G-A, particularly in fiber-scarce regions. With the newly deployed 25Gbps link, du is able to address the increased demands of 5G-A. This solution features Huawei’s latest wireless innovations, including the industry’s only 2T2R E-band device supporting up to 26 dBm and 25Gbps in a single module. Paired with the industry’s only 2-Dimension intelligent beam tracking (IBT) antenna, the solution effectively mitigates the swaying and twisting effects typically encountered in pole sites, ensuring optimal received signal level (RSL) and link reliability. Furthermore, the 25G platform features multiple 25GE connections that support peak site capacity of 5G-A and beyond, ensuring future scalability and aligning with UAE’s 2030 6G vision.
With capacity comparable to optical fiber, Huawei’s 25Gbps E-band technology offers a high-performance supplementary solution that demonstrates significant advantages in deployment cycle, implementation efficiency, and total cost of ownership. Its exceptional flexibility enables seamless adaptation to diverse deployment scenarios—from dense urban areas to remote rural regions—thereby substantially enhancing 5G-A network coverage and connection quality throughout UAE.
Saleem Alblooshi, Chief Technology Officer at du commented on the successful deployment: “Achieving the world’s first 25Gbps E-band microwave deployment in 5G-A networks demonstrates du’s commitment to pushing technological boundaries. Our partnership with Huawei delivers fiber-equivalent capacity with the flexibility and speed our 5G-A expansion demands, ensuring we can bridge connectivity gaps across the UAE—from dense urban centers to remote regions—while laying the groundwork for our 6G future.”
James Zeng, President of Huawei Microwave Product Line, said: “Large capacity E-band is an important direction for continuous innovation. Projects like this inspire us to continue providing simplified, high-bandwidth, and easy-to-deploy microwave solutions, helping our customers build leading networks and achieve business success.”
