According to the company, the 5.5G network will have ten times the speed of the 5G network. 

STC Bahrain has announced plans to build the foundation for a 5.5G network, in partnership with Huawei.

STC Bahrain will reportedly be the first company in the Middle East region to adapt this network.

The announcement comes as part of STC Bahrain’s strategy to establish and develop the infrastructure to power the next version of 5G (5.5G) within the next three years, reflecting STC Bahrain’s commitment to invest in the latest technology and keep up with global trends.

STC Bahrain’s current 5G network covers all areas of the Kingdom and supports 2CC (two cell carriers), enhancing its network performance and contributing to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to build an infrastructure that links Bahrain to the global economy.

The milestone was announced during the quarterly board meeting, where Eng. Nezar Banabeela, Chief Executive Officer of STC Bahrain, presented the company’s vision around the evolution of 5G and its ambitious plans to start building the foundation of a 5.5G network.

Speaking about the new plan, Nezar Banabeela said: “STC Bahrain is committed to investing in network infrastructure that positions Bahrain as a global telecommunication and ICT leader. We are incredibly proud to be at the forefront of building Bahrain’s future advanced network connectivity services, paving the way for innovation, and further digital transformation across the Kingdom. As more intelligent applications and demands emerge, we want the infrastructure to be able to support a thriving digital ecosystem and setting the foundation of 5.5G, is critical to that future.”

The 5.5G network is an improvement to the 5G network, which contains features that will transform the telecommunications field. The 5.5G network will have ten times the speed of the 5G network.

STC Bahrain has identified five business capabilities which will be focused to achieve the ambition of the target network: service penetration, efficiency creativity, resource integration, value competitiveness, and social contribution.

As part of phase one of the vision, major network revamps and upgrades have been initiated in all network domains including wireless, Datacom, Transmission, Core, IT and Digital Infrastructure. With the completion of phase one of the project, the STC network will be upgraded and evolved to the very latest telecom standards to make the network foundation ready for 5.5G capability (also known as 5G-Advance as per 3GPP standard).

After the programme, network capability will increase from 3Gbps to 10Gbps.