Qualcomm Technologies to Utilize New Engineering Center in Abu Dhabi for Advancements in 5G and Edge AI
Key Points:
Strategic Partnership between Qualcomm and e& – The collaboration is set to facilitate the commercialization of advanced 5G and edge AI solutions within the UAE, focusing on enterprise, industrial, and government sectors.
Innovation in Edge AI – The two companies will jointly develop 5G edge AI gateways and Snapdragon-enabled devices, incorporating large language models for secure, on-device AI to improve operational efficiency.
Research and Development Support in Abu Dhabi – Qualcomm plans to utilize its newly established engineering center in Abu Dhabi to test and scale these technologies in critical industries, such as energy, logistics, and transportation.
Qualcomm Technologies has teamed up with e& UAE, a telecommunications provider in the Emirates, to enhance the progression and commercialization of cutting-edge connectivity, 5G, and edge AI technologies.
This partnership is intended to accelerate digital transformation across various sectors, including government, enterprise, and industry.
Under this collaboration, Qualcomm and e& will focus on:
– Developing 5G edge AI gateways specifically for industrial and business applications, facilitating the implementation of AI technologies closer to data sources, thereby improving efficiency and connectivity.
– Creating edge AI devices, such as PCs and extended reality (XR) devices, driven by Snapdragon platforms. These devices will integrate large language models and will support on-device generative AI, ensuring secure AI processing from the edge to the cloud, aimed at fulfilling enterprise and government requirements.
– Innovating smart mobility and safety solutions, which are designed to enhance road safety and user experiences, while also preparing the UAE’s transport infrastructure for future demands.
Moreover, Qualcomm Technologies aims to utilize its new Abu Dhabi Engineering Center to support this initiative. This facility will facilitate the exploration and testing of novel applications to broaden the application of 5G and edge AI in sectors such as energy, manufacturing, logistics, retail, and transportation.
“The collaboration between Qualcomm Technologies and e& will foster significant advancements across transformative technology domains, including 5G, next-generation computing, and edge intelligence. We are eager to partner with e& to spur innovation and technological development throughout its ecosystem of enterprise and government clients in the UAE and beyond,” stated Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm.
“Our ongoing partnership with Qualcomm Technologies will meaningfully enhance the digital transformation of enterprises and bolster the UAE’s presence in the global technology arena. Together, we are bringing advanced AI capabilities to the edge—from smart industrial gateways to wearables, and to mobility and infrastructure—enabling quicker, more efficient, and secure experiences across vital sectors, including manufacturing, transport, and governance. These innovations will support real-time intelligence, operational efficiency, and future-ready public services throughout the UAE,” remarked Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&.
In November 2024, e& UAE achieved what it reportedly termed as one of the world’s pioneering deployments of Ericsson’s dual-band Massive MIMO radio, AIR 3229, on its network.
This new deployment was designed to enhance network performance, increase capacity, and lower the carbon footprint.
Ericsson confirmed that the AIR 3229 dual-band radio permits e& UAE to deliver 5G services concurrently on both the 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz spectrum levels via a single unit. This advancement allows the doubling of time division duplex (TDD) carrier components from two to four at high-capacity 5G sites.
Furthermore, the solution not only boosts network performance but also addresses challenges related to site acquisition, installation complexity, and tower load management. Ericsson indicated that this approach cuts power consumption by 20% and reduces tower load by 25%.
Additionally, Ericsson and e& UAE have entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaboratively explore 6G technology, its potential applications, and future network progression.
The agreement concerning 6G will serve as an initial engagement for shaping the successive generation of mobile network evolution, encompassing a series of technical discussions and interactions aimed at jointly investigating critical 6G technology concepts.