Du and Ericsson push home 5G farther

du and Ericsson have completed a 5G standalone proof of concept in the UAE that they say could widen the reach of fixed wireless access for households, using millimetre wave technology to deliver faster home broadband over a broader area than is typically associated with high-band spectrum. The companies said the trial was carried out in residential areas and is intended to support stronger coverage, gigabit-class speeds and faster rollout of services for home users.

The project matters because mmWave has long been viewed as powerful but geographically limited, suited mainly to dense urban pockets, stadiums and other high-traffic zones where short-range capacity is the priority. Ericsson says its extended-range approach can push mmWave coverage from only a few hundred metres to more than 7km in the right conditions, potentially making it more useful for suburban and lower-density residential deployments where operators want to avoid the cost and delay of laying fibre to every home.

According to the companies, the UAE trial used Ericsson’s AIR 5343 radio and software features designed for 5G standalone deployments. They said the proof of concept demonstrated gigabit speeds across wider coverage areas, improved capacity for data-heavy applications and stronger service potential in neighbourhood settings. Fahad Al Hassawi, chief executive of du, said the exercise was aimed at improving fixed wireless access services, creating new customer offerings and reinforcing the UAE’s role in advanced digital infrastructure. Petra Schirren, president of Ericsson Gulf, described the test as a significant step for 5G standalone in the country and said it showed how better spectrum utilisation could benefit both operators and end users.

For du, the trial extends an already deep relationship with Ericsson. In October 2024, the two companies announced a broader agreement to expand du’s 5G network capacity across the UAE, with explicit emphasis on improving experiences for both mobile broadband and fixed wireless access users. That agreement also framed the network build-out as a base for services such as cloud gaming, augmented reality, virtual reality and eventual 5G Advanced capabilities. Ericsson has been a key radio access network supplier to du since 2021, giving the latest trial a clear place in a longer commercial and technical roadmap rather than as a standalone showcase.

Fixed wireless access has become an increasingly important part of the global 5G business case, especially in markets where operators want to monetise network investments beyond smartphones. Ericsson said in its June 2025 Mobility Report update that 51 per cent of communications service providers offering FWA now include speed-based plans, up from 40 per cent a year earlier, with growth noted in Europe and the Middle East as well as North America. In a separate forecast, Ericsson said FWA connections are expected to rise from 185 million at the end of 2025 to 350 million by the end of 2031, with 90 per cent of those connections on 5G. That gives context to why operators in advanced telecom markets are experimenting with ways to expand FWA economics and coverage.

The attraction for households is straightforward: quicker broadband deployment without waiting for civil works, and the possibility of fibre-like performance in areas where fixed-line upgrades may be slower or more expensive. The attraction for operators is more complex. FWA allows them to use existing spectrum and radio assets to add home broadband revenue, but it also creates heavy traffic loads that can strain networks if capacity is not managed properly. Ericsson’s technical literature notes that FWA subscriptions can generate between 10 and 50 times more traffic than smartphone subscriptions, which is one reason mmWave matters despite the engineering challenges. Used effectively, higher-band spectrum can offload demand from mid-band layers and support more homes per sector.

That does not mean the model is without limits. mmWave performance still depends heavily on propagation conditions, site placement, line of sight and customer equipment. High-band deployments remain more sensitive to obstacles and terrain than lower frequencies, and broad commercial success depends not just on peak speeds in a trial but on installation economics, device availability, consistent indoor performance and tariff design. Industry studies from GSMA Intelligence and GSA have both pointed to the commercial promise of 5G FWA, but they also underline that outcomes vary sharply by spectrum holdings, density, pricing strategy and execution.