Middle East telecom operators and technology leaders must shift 5G infrastructure from experimental testbeds into commercial enterprise applications to enable autonomous transport across the region, according to a panel of experts.
Speaking at the Smart Mobility Summit titled ‘The next frontier in autonomous transport and aviation: How do we move from testbeds to autonomy at scale?’ on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress in Doha, industry leaders stated that scaling low-latency networks is critical for mission-critical operations and aerial mobility.
Mariam Ahmed A A al-Khal, senior director of Product Hub at Ooredoo Qatar, emphasised that 5G Standalone networks are moving beyond consumer applications to support high-priority business infrastructure.
She said, "5G standalone is especially important for B2B mission-critical applications. For example, connected ambulances in Qatar need reliable, fast connectivity to help them reach patients within five minutes—a significant achievement.
"We want to provide this level of connectivity to all our customers, particularly those with mission-critical needs. As 5G standalone becomes available, our priority is to bring it to B2B customers and monetize the service.”
Dr Tarek Nadour, head of Enterprise EMEA at Ericsson, explained that expanding cellular networks into a three-dimensional digital airspace creates operational capabilities for emergency responders and public safety agencies.
Barney Stinton, Market Development lead for Aviation at GSMA Fusion, pointed out that transportation sectors require guaranteed network quality rather than standard internet coverage.
"Aviation depends on trust, reassurance, clear identity, and high-quality connectivity. In this industry, ‘best efforts’ aren’t enough. We can’t reinvent aviation, but we can fine-tune a thousand things to make a meaningful difference,” Stinton emphasised.
Stephen Oh, founder and director of Eonetics and CEO of XM2 Group, noted that stringent regulations remain a primary hurdle for autonomous aircraft adoption.
He said, "Aviation authorities want to ensure safety, and I completely understand why: human lives are at stake. However, drones were a relatively new technology.”