Qatar’s nationwide fibre network, built primarily upon “Ooredoo’s Supernet infrastructure” leads the world in terms of rollout speed and customer take-up, according to a new report by global consulting group Arthur D Little. 
The report, “Race to Next Generation Fibre – Arthur D Little’s Global FTTH/B Study,” states that Qatar is now one of the world’s leading fibre nations, with 99% of households in areas covered by Ooredoo Fibre. 
It says Qatar enjoyed the “fastest” fibre rollout in history, covering the nation within three years and recording faster progress than technological leaders such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea. 
Qatar also enjoys one of the “highest” levels of fibre connectivity in the world with 71% of households now connected to fibre, driven by migration of households from copper to fibre and the launch of a range of cutting-edge solutions. This in turn has stimulated rapid take-up of IPTV, 4K (4K resolution) and other smart services in Qatar. 
As a result, Ooredoo,  which was the first operator in the Middle East to launch 4K television services in February this year with Ooredoo tv, already enjoys the highest take-up of 4K television in the world, with approximately 52% of television connections in Qatar now enjoy 4K. 
Speaking to the media yesterday, Ooredoo Qatar chief operating officer Yousuf Abdulla al-Kubaisi said, “Ooredoo has invested significantly in our nationwide fibre network as a gift to our country and to ensure we are a data experience leader for our customers. 
“We are fiercely proud that Ooredoo’s investment has positioned Qatar as one of the world’s leading fibre nations and that the people of Qatar have access to fibre and 4K services before other nations in the region, delivered to a higher standard than most countries in the world.” 
Al-Kubaisi said, “We promised that we would help make Qatar one of the best-connected countries in the world and this research – as well as the high Networked Readiness score given to Qatar by the World Economic Forum – shows that we are delivering on this promise.” 
Qatar’s nationwide rollout of fibre, driven primarily by Ooredoo’s investment and by partnerships with some of the world’s leading technology companies, is in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which positions the development of a knowledge-based economy built upon a strong infrastructure foundation as a major strategic priority.
Dr  Karim Taga, managing partner and global practice leader, Arthur D Little TIME practice said, “Qatar should be congratulated for setting the global pace for fibre rollout, made possible by Ooredoo’s ambition and significant investment. In addition, the speed with which people have adopted fibre and upgraded to 4K services through fibre demonstrates the hunger for technology and demand for quality that is driving the country’s growth on the world stage.” 
“Our study demonstrates that markets with the largest fibre growth all had specific fibre rollout programmes in place, with growth being driven by migration and the launch of cutting-edge services. Again, this is an area where Ooredoo has excelled, positioning Qatar as the world’s leading nation for 4K penetration per capita,” he added. 

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