Private 5G Collaboration Between ZTE and e& Sets New Pace for UAE’s Digital Transformation

ZTE Corporation , a global leading provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, and e& UAE,  the telecommunications arm of global technology group e&, have announced the successful completion of a 5G private network Proof-of-Concept (PoC) trial in the UAE. This collaboration represents a significant milestone in accelerating the region’s digital transformation, addressing the rising demand for innovative and secure connectivity solutions to enable smarter industries and sustainable growth.

“This successful PoC trial underscores the strength of our collaboration with ZTE, combining their advanced 5G private network solutions with our expertise in enterprise digital transformation. Together, we are driving innovation to empower UAE enterprises with secure, scalable, and efficient connectivity solutions that accelerate their journey toward smart industries and sustainable growth.”

–Abdulrahman Al Humaidan, Acting Senior Vice President, Mobile Network, e& UAE

“This trial demonstrates ZTE’s readiness to deliver scalable, high-performance private network solutions, enabling enterprises to achieve greater efficiency and innovation. ZTE and e& UAE are set to lead the development of next-generation private network infrastructure, driving growth in the UAE’s digital economy.”

–Amer Atallah, Chief Strategy Officer for ZTE’s e& account

The MEA market represents a substantial growth opportunity, as leading analysis company forecasts the region’s private network market to grow from $246 million in 2024 to $679 million by 2029 (Omdia, “Private LTE and 5G Networks Market Forecast: 2024–29”, 2024 Dec.). To capture this growing market demand, ZTE and e& UAE conducted this comprehensive PoC trial to validate advanced technical capabilities.

The trial demonstrated multi-band capabilities across millimeter wave (26GHz), mid-band (4.9GHz), and low-band (700MHz) frequencies, proving the technical feasibility for next-generation enterprise applications such as real-time video streaming for CCTV systems. Key achievements include:

Uplink-Oriented Solution: The trial achieved single-cell uplink speed of up to 2.04Gbps with 1D3U frame structure, addressing the critical requirements for high-definition video surveillance and real-time data uploads in smart city applications.

NodeEngine Edge Computing: Addressing the market demand for simplified deployment and management, this plug-and-play solution reduced deployment time to under an hour, requiring only a single VGC board and no core network configuration.

This PoC trial underscores how ZTE’s private network solutions can address the increasing complexity of multi-site, multi-technology deployments while facilitating e&’s efforts to empower industries across diverse sectors in the UAE, including smart ports, industrial parks, healthcare facilities, and smart airports.

In line with leading analysis company’s findings that 61% (Omdia, “2025 Trends to Watch: Private 5G Is One Step Away from Success and One from Failure”, 2024) of enterprises report improved production and efficiency from private networks, the solutions’ scalability, low-latency capabilities, and high-bandwidth support provide a robust foundation for enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation.

ZTE’s technologies address key challenges in industrial applications such as real-time video analysis, intelligent alerts, and efficient resource management. The demonstrated capabilities of NodeEngine, including high uplink speeds, can significantly enhance operational efficiency and support innovative use cases in mission-critical scenarios.