- Indoor 5G coverage is more crucial than ever since people spend 90per cent of their time indoors.
- Bridging the indoor-outdoor coverage gap is ever more important in the Gulf region.
Dubai-headquartered telecom operator du reported 98.5 per cent in indoor 5G coverage in more UAE malls than Etisalat by e&, according to Ookla Research.
Du, which launched 5G standalone and Voice over New Radio (VoNR) in 2023, attributed much of its Capex to 5G deployment and specifically to enhancing indoor coverage. For example, it has installed small cell antennas in apartments and offices and expanded Distributed Antenna System (DASI in new mall locations.
However, Etisalat by e&, which made 5G standalone services available to all mobile users in October 2023, has managed to serve all main urban areas and highways across the country, with an estimated coverage of 97 per cent in February 2023.
As 5G adoption increases, consumers and businesses expect the same level of coverage and performance wherever they go.
Yet, the characteristics of 5G, which typically operates in mid-band frequencies of 1.8 GHz to 3.5 GHz, pose a challenge for indoor coverage, as these frequencies struggle to penetrate walls and windows depending on the materials used in construction.
Shopping malls are central
“Therefore, operators need to invest in additional solutions to enhance indoor coverage and potentially offload onto in-building Wi-Fi systems. In the Gulf region, where shopping malls are central to the economic and social lifestyle, bridging the indoor-outdoor coverage gap is ever more important,“ the report said.
Ookla used the average Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) data from Cell Analytics to benchmark indoor 5G coverage provided by seven mobile operators across 28 malls in Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Jeddah and Riyadh), and the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) based on crowdsourced measurements collected between December 2022 and November 2023.
An RSRP value that exceeds -90 dBm indicates superior coverage. If the signal strength is between -90 dBm and -100 dBm then network coverage is considered good. Lower RSRP values signify lower download speeds and an increased probability of network disconnection.
The chart (below) depicts indoor 5G RSRP values for du and Etisalat by e&, across 12 malls in Dubai and six others in Abu Dhabi. Both operators have the same number of malls in Dubai where they lead in indoor coverage.
In Abu Dhabi, du consistently outperformed Etisalat by e& in terms of indoor coverage in all the malls Ookla reviewed.
du lead the way in the UAE (particularly in Abu Dhabi), while in Saudi Arabia, Mobily has the edge in terms of the number of malls where it has better indoor 5G coverage.
In Qatar, Ooredoo comes first for indoor coverage and its lead over Vodafone is more evident than in the other two countries.
According to Ericsson, people spend 90per cent of their time indoors, and up to 80per cent of the data is consumed indoors.
“Du consistently outperforms Etisalat by e& in indoor 5G coverage across all the six malls in Abu Dhabi. For example, du is 10per cent better than Etisalat by e& in Khalidiya Mall and 8per cent better in Marina Mall,” the report said.