Nokia spotlighted fixed wireless access (FWA) as one of the most attractive 5G use cases for operators in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), citing a significant opportunity to drive revenue.

In its MEA Mobile Broadband Index report, Nokia noted the Middle East is far ahead of Africa in terms of 5G adoption, while many operators in the latter are still developing their business models around 4G.

Across MEA, 5G adoption is estimated to reach 17 per cent of total mobile users, or 380 million subscribers by 2027.

Nokia stated 5G uptake in GCC is the fastest across MEA, with subscribers expected to reach 75 per cent of the total by 2027, mainly driven by Saudi Arabia.

In non-GCC Middle Eastern countries and in Africa, 4G will continue to expand and remain dominant until 2027, while 5G deployments are at a nascent stage and poised to gain momentum in the coming years.

Nokia also highlighted 4G FWA as an attractive use case in the rest of MEA.

Mikko Lavanti, head of Mobile Networks at Nokia MEA, said it is a diverse region with many countries at different stages of development.

Data consumption is increasing exponentially in both urban and rural areas.

“Reliable 4G and 5G networks are critical for bridging the digital divide in the region, in addition to supporting data-intensive applications for communities and businesses.”