e& UAE pioneers world's first high-density XGS-PON technology - Middle East Business News and Information
Next generation technology delivers ultra-fast connectivity with lower space and power use, supporting UAE's green goals and e&'s net-zero drive
Abu Dhabi, June 2025 — e& UAE today announced the successful deployment of the world's first 32-ports high-density XGS-PON (10 Gigabit Symmetrical Passive Optical Network) solution, which offers the highest density in industry, marking a major milestone in the evolution of fibre broadband (FBB) services in the UAE.
This cutting-edge technology will enable e& UAE to deliver ultra-high-speed, low-latency connectivity to customers while significantly optimising space and power efficiency, supporting both the UAE's sustainability agenda and e&'s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Marwan Bin Shakar, Acting Chief Technology and Information Officer, e& UAE, said: 'The introduction of our high density XGS-PON solution marks a transformative step in the UAE's broadband evolution, combining speed with sustainability. This milestone underscores our commitment to network excellence and offering world-class customer experiences, fully aligned with our broader sustainability targets. As we pioneer next-generation connectivity, we do so with a clear focus on responsible innovation and purposeful digital progress.'
e& UAE's deployment underscores its commitment to environmental responsibility. By leveraging advanced high-density XGS-PON technology, e& UAE minimises energy use and operational waste, contributing to the UAE's broader vision for a sustainable digital economy. In 2023, e& pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions (Scope 1 and 2) across its own operations in all markets by 2040, accelerating efforts to combat climate change through innovation.
e& UAE continues to invest in next-generation infrastructure, ensuring the nation remains at the forefront of global connectivity. The high-density XGS-PON rollout is a critical step in building a smarter, greener, and more connected future for all.
About e& UAE:
e& UAE is the flagship telecom arm of e& in the UAE, built on a 5-decades legacy of connectivity excellence. Our mission is to deliver world-class superior connectivity experiences that fuel the UAE's future-focused innovation.
Leveraging the latest world-class technologies, e& UAE aims to transform lives and industries, turning every connection into an opportunity for growth and every interaction into a transformative possibility.
We are focused on expanding our core services and digital marketplaces by enriching consumer value propositions that cater to new lifestyles and emerging demands beyond core telecom services, including health, insurance and gaming.
As a trusted enterprise partner, e& UAE continues to power entire industries with 5G and AI, delivering a tailored ecosystem of solutions to meet their connectivity needs and more, empowering them to automate, innovate, transform, and scale.
Strengthening our leadership position as an AI-powered telco, e& UAE delivers seamless connectivity, cutting-edge AI solutions, and sustainable innovation to uplift people and communities, and empower businesses and industries, so everyone thrives in a digital-first world.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mid East Info
a day ago
- Mid East Info
Majid Al Futtaim Collaborates with Coca-Cola Middle East and Sparklo Furthering its Commitment to Promoting Circular Communities
The partnership will see Coca-Cola Middle East sponsor a few Reverse Vending Machines RVMs in key Carrefour locations, serving as an extension to Carrefour's existing recycling efforts. The aim is to collect 1.8 million bottles a year, which can reduce CO ₂ emissions. Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June 2025 : Majid Al Futtaim, which owns the exclusive rights to operate Carrefour in the UAE, announces its partnership with Coca-Cola Middle East and Sparklo, a UAE-based cleantech company, to boost Carrefour recycling efforts under the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) initiative. This collaboration, driven by a shared commitment to building a community of eco-conscious customers and a focus on innovation, will see Coca-Cola co-operate RVMs in key Carrefour locations across the UAE, building on the programme's proven success in promoting collection and recycling and contributing to the UAE's ambitious sustainability agenda. Carrefour's RVM initiative, powered by Sparklo's innovative technology, was launched in July 2023, and since then it has empowered customers to actively support circularity by incentivising recycling. Using the Sparklo app, users earn points for each item recycled and they can redeem the points for rewards from participating partners. Rewards include savings at Carrefour, discounted taxi rides, among others. Based on the 2024 Sparklomats RVMs results, the partnership is projected to collect over 1.8 million plastic bottles and aluminium cans annually, with an average of over 1,000 containers per day, helping to contribute to CO₂ emissions reduction. Commenting on the partnership, Jean-Luc Graziato, Chief Operating Officer at Majid Al Futtaim – Retail , said: 'We are committed to playing an active role in advancing sustainability across the UAE, in support of the nation's vision for environmental leadership and its ambitious goals around waste reduction and responsible consumption. Our partnership with Coca-Cola and Sparklo is a powerful example of how collaboration can drive scalable impact. By leveraging advanced technologies, we are transforming our retail spaces to serve greater purpose; empowering customers to actively participate in building a circular economy.' 'At Coca-Cola, we aim to grow our business in ways that drive positive change and build a more sustainable future for our planet. Through our partnership with Majid Al Futtaim and Sparklo, we are making it easier for people in the UAE to recycle and contribute to circularity and sustainability. This initiative is part of our broader efforts to improve waste collection and strengthen local recycling infrastructure, helping to build a circular economy where packaging is collected, recycled, and reused,' said Andrew Buckingham, Vice President and General Manager at The Coca-Cola Company Middle East. 'We're glad to see our joint initiative with Majid Al Futtaim now supported by Coca-Cola. It shows a shared commitment to making it simple and engaging for people to recycle bottles and cans. Together, we're building the infrastructure to collect every bottle in the UAE and show what real progress on sustainability can look like,' added Maxim Kaplevich, Founder and CEO of Sparklo. The collaboration also supports the ambitions of the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2031, which aims to divert 75% of waste from landfills by 2030 by promoting recycling, reusing material, and reducing reliance on raw resources. Through the initiative, Carrefour, Coca-Cola, and Sparklo are accelerating the UAE's transition towards a waste-free, circular economy. The co-operated machines are located across Carrefour stores at Ibn Battuta Mall, City Centre Mirdiff, City Centre Deira, and Burjuman Mall in Dubai, and Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi. About Majid Al Futtaim Retail: Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is an Emirati-owned, diversified lifestyle conglomerate operating shopping malls, communities, retail and leisure outlets, across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Group employs 43,000 people, with owned assets valued at US$19 billion, and has the highest credit rating ( BBB) among privately held corporates in the region. Majid Al Futtaim Retail holds the exclusive rights to operate Carrefour across 12 markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with a network of over 390 stores. It is also the owner and operator of HyperMax, a new grocery retail brand with 44 locations in Jordan and Oman. Additionally, the Group operates Supeco, its latest grocery retail concept—a low-cost hybrid model that combines a traditional supermarket with a wholesale warehouse—across 15 locations in Egypt, and Myli, the Group's health and beauty brand, operating in 12 stores across Asia and North Africa. To meet the growing needs of its diverse customer base and communities, Majid Al Futtaim Retail offers omnichannel customer experiences tailored to the needs of the modern consumer. Through its innovative physical and digital customer services, Majid Al Futtaim Retail provides access to an unrivalled choice of quality products, at unbeatable value for over 700,000 customers it serves daily. Aligning with the Group's commitment to support local economies, local producers and suppliers, Majid Al Futtaim Retail resources over 80 percent of its products from the region. About Coca-Cola Middle East: The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. The Coca-Cola Company Middle East operation spans across 12 markets including GCC countries, Iraq, Yemen and the Levant. With 23 bottling plants across the region, our portfolio includes nearly 20 sparkling soft drink brands including Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Thums Up, QJ, Canada Dry and Schweppes; our hydration and juice brands include Arwa, Crystal, Al Waha, Dasani minera, Safia, Minute Maid, Cappy, Fuze Tea and glaceau smartwater. Our company's purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference and we're constantly transforming our portfolio to bring innovative new products with something for everyone. We also seek to positively impact people's lives, communities and the planet through our sustainability initiatives – from water replenishment to waste management, recycling to women empowerment initiatives while we continue to create a rewarding ecosystem for our employees, partners, consumers and customers. About Sparklo: Sparklo is a global UAE-based cleantech company that revolutionises the recycling industry and encourages sustainable practices worldwide. Through its innovative reverse vending machines (RVMs) known as Sparklomats, the company motivates users to recycle plastic bottles and aluminium cans by offering engaging rewards. Sparklo's cutting-edge software and hardware solutions utilise AI and machine learning to optimise recycling processes, making it fun and easy for individuals to contribute to a sustainable lifestyle. With a growing network of more than 250,000 users in the UAE alone, Sparklo collects over 200,000 bottles and cans daily. The company operates in over ten countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Vietnam, India, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Georgia.


Mid East Info
a day ago
- Mid East Info
Nokia, e& and MediaTek achieve multi-gigabit speeds with six-component carrier aggregation - Middle East Business News and Information
First use of 400 MHz mid-band spectrum in the region on e&'s commercial network Enables e& UAE to maximize existing spectrum assets and strengthen its position as the world's fastest mobile network Powered by Nokia's Massive MIMO radios and baseband solutions, validated end-to-end with MediaTek's flagship 5G device Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Nokia, in collaboration with e& UAE, the flagship telecommunications arm of e& in the UAE, and MediaTek, today announced the Middle East's first successful demonstration of six-component carrier (6CC) aggregation in 5G Standalone (SA). The trial combined 400 MHz of e& UAE's 5G mid-band spectrum, unlocking multi-gigabit peak throughput rates that would allow subscribers to download UHD movies in seconds. For e& UAE, the milestone further solidifies its position as the world's fastest mobile network while future-proofing radio access network investments. The trial utilized e& UAE's commercial spectrum across 3.5 GHz, 2.6 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 1.8 GHz bands and delivered a throughput of 5.8 Gbps. Nokia supplied its latest high-capacity equipment from the AirScale portfolio, including Habrok 64 Massive MIMO radios, dual-band radios, baseband solutions and carrier aggregation software. MediaTek provided a prototype smartphone powered by its flagship 5G chipset, which supports 6CC carrier aggregation. Mark Atkinson, Senior Vice President and Head of Radio Access Networks at Nokia, said: 'Together with our long-standing partners, e& and MediaTek, Nokia is once again pushing the limits of technology by aggregating six mid-band component carriers. Our industry-leading carrier aggregation solutions help maximize 5G performance with existing spectrum assets, paving the path to Advanced 5G. Multi-gigabit speeds are a true game-changer for end-user experience in the UAE's competitive market for both consumers and enterprises.' Abdulrahman Al Humaidan – Vice President Access Network at e& UAE, said: 'Aggregating six mid-band carriers lets us squeeze every bit of performance out of the spectrum that we have available for 5G. This breakthrough shows that 5G Advanced isn't a distant vision, but a concrete enabler for multi-gigabit speeds across the UAE without waiting for new frequencies. Working with Nokia and MediaTek, we now have a clear blueprint for scaling this capability nationwide.' He added: '5G is redefining what's possible — from ultra-fast downloads to real-time connectivity that powers everything from mobile streaming to smart cities. At e&, we're pushing the boundaries of 5G performance to ensure people across the country experience the full potential of next-generation speed and reliability. This isn't just about faster connections — it's about enabling the UAE's digital future.' Nokia and e& UAE are paving the way for future enhancements to 5G networks by providing the critical technology foundation that supports the growing demand for data and digital services in the region. HC Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership at MediaTek said: 'Successfully completing the 6CC carrier aggregation trial in partnership with e& and Nokia marks a significant leap forward in 5G technology advancement. This achievement, conducted on our new M90 modem platform, underscores MediaTek's commitment to pushing download speeds, enhancing network performance, and delivering unparalleled connectivity.' About Nokia: At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation. With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future. About e&: e& is a global technology group committed to advancing the digital future across markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. With the group's financial performance in 2023 showing a consolidated net revenue of AED 53.8 billion and a net profit of AED 10.3 billion, e& continues to maintain its position as a financial powerhouse, reflected by its strong credit rating and solid balance sheet. Founded in Abu Dhabi over 48 years ago, e& has evolved from a telecom pioneer into a technology group. Its footprint now spans 38 countries, offering a comprehensive portfolio of innovative digital services ranging from advanced connectivity, entertainment, streaming and financial services to AI-powered solutions, cloud computing, ICT, cybersecurity and IoT platforms. The Group is structured around five core business pillars: e& UAE, e& international, e& life, e& enterprise and e& capital, each catering to distinct customer and market needs. These pillars empower e& to lead in various sectors, from telecom and digital lifestyle to enterprise services and venture investments. The ongoing strategic investments in AI, IoT, 5G and cloud services reinforce its leadership in the global technology landscape, driving the future of smart connectivity and innovation. Driven by innovation, sustainability and a commitment to digital empowerment, e& is set on creating a smarter, more connected future for individuals, businesses and communities. About e& UAE: e& UAE embodies the telecom arm of e& in the UAE, with a mission to maximise stakeholder value, deliver an unparalleled customer experience and optimise business performance for sustainable growth and success. Leveraging the latest world-class technologies, e& UAE will grow core and digital services, enriching consumer value propositions with digital services catering to new consumer lifestyles and emerging demands beyond core telecom services, including health, insurance and gaming. e& UAE will continue to act as a trusted partner to enterprises in meeting their connectivity needs and beyond. Bolstering its leadership position as a digital telco that champions customers in a hyper-connected digital world, e& UAE will pivot the new sustainable demand into future spaces such as private networks, autonomous vehicles, and AI.


Mid East Info
2 days ago
- Mid East Info
ADPIC Signs Strategic Partnerships with Nine Leading Academic Institutions at Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit
Collaborations to drive research innovation, talent development, and knowledge exchange in infrastructure and capital projects Abu Dhabi,June 2025 – The Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC) today announced the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with nine prestigious academic and professional institutions. These significant partnerships, unveiled during the inaugural Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit (ADIS), underscore ADPIC's commitment to fostering innovation, developing local talent, and enhancing knowledge exchange within Abu Dhabi's rapidly evolving infrastructure sector. The agreements were signed with United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), American University of Sharjah (AUS), Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi,, Abu Dhabi University (ADU), Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the Project Management Institute UAE Chapter, and the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB). These strategic partnerships, a highlight of ADIS's focus on future-ready infrastructure, will concentrate on collaborative research, student development, curriculum enhancement, and knowledge exchange to address real-world challenges in infrastructure development and capital project management. His Excellency Maysarah Mahmoud Eid, Director General of ADPIC, said, 'These partnerships represent a pivotal investment in Abu Dhabi's future infrastructure ecosystem. By embedding capital projects expertise within academic curricula and creating robust research collaborations, we're building a sustainable talent pipeline specifically aligned with market needs. Our vision is to transform how students learn about infrastructure development—moving from theoretical case studies to hands-on engagement with Abu Dhabi's real-world projects. This approach will not only enhance educational outcomes but also accelerate innovation in critical areas such as sustainability, modular construction, and AI applications in infrastructure management.' The collaborations will focus on several key areas: Research & Development Collaboration The partnerships will establish joint research initiatives focused on Abu Dhabi-specific challenges and opportunities in infrastructure development. Research themes include sustainable materials, green construction, climate resilience, AI applications in project management, modular housing solutions, and waste reduction strategies aligned with the UAE Net Zero 2050 Policy. Talent Development & Acquisition ADPIC will work with academic partners to create summer programmes, internships, and field projects for students. The partnerships will establish formal talent pipelines, with universities providing CVs of top-performing graduates to ADPIC annually. This approach aims to ensure graduates possess the skills and knowledge required by the infrastructure sector. Curriculum Integration A key focus of the partnerships will be embedding capital projects management into engineering and business curricula. Students will gain practical knowledge about the unique attributes of infrastructure projects, government tendering processes, risk management, and approval procedures—preparing them for careers in the sector. Knowledge Exchange The agreements facilitate two-way knowledge transfer, with ADPIC experts serving as guest lecturers at partner institutions and university faculty providing specialised lectures to ADPIC staff. This exchange will enrich both academic programmes and professional practice. The MoUs also outline plans for innovation challenges, hackathons, and student competitions addressing specific challenges in the infrastructure and capital projects sector. These activities will foster creative problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking among students. These collaborations align with ADPIC's broader mission to enhance Abu Dhabi's infrastructure ecosystem through strategic partnerships, innovation, and capacity building. By bridging the gap between academia and industry, ADPIC aims to create a knowledge-rich environment that supports Abu Dhabi's long-term development goals. About Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre: Established in 2023, ADPIC's vision is to oversee and manage capital projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for every resident in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This involves diverse projects such as housing, infrastructure, tourism, community facilities, and education. ADPIC's mandate includes managing contracts, reviewing, approving, planning, and designing capital projects. These are overseen by the Centre in close collaboration with relevant entities and stakeholders to ensure quality is maintained while also facilitating efficient project execution in alignment with Abu Dhabi's strategic goals. Throughout its operations, the Centre is committed to strengthening public-private partnerships and adopting global best practices in sustainability.