Saudi Arabia to launch 5G network by early 2019

Saudi Arabia plans to launch 5G services commercially at the beginning of 2019, minister Abdullah Al-Swaha told CNBC Arabia in an interview.

The Kingdom was a pioneer in launching 5G trial-runs in the MENA region, he said on the sidelines of Dubai’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority conference.

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is working with the International Telecommunication Union on a new artificial intelligence (AI) governance initiative, he added.

What is 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology. But users will know it as one of the fastest, most robust technologies the world has ever seen. That means quicker downloads, a more powerful network and a massive impact on how we live, work and play.

How fast will 5G be?

5G will provide more speed, data transfer rates many times faster than a blink of an eye, massive bandwidth and greater opportunities for connectivity and reliability. One way to quantify the difference is in terms of download speeds.