Etisalat today announced the successful completion of the first MENA IPTV service over an existing WTTx (4G) network trial. The trial is the first of its kind over an existing LTE network, and opens the doors to advanced 5G-era streaming services like IPTV over existing wireless networks.

WTTx (4G) provides fast access to home broadband markets over existing LTE networks, enabling operators to quickly launch IPTV services, and greatly improving ROI by finding the right synergy between WTTx and FTTx.

Etisalat launched commercial use of WTTx (4G) based wireless broadband internet access and voice services with abundance of 3.5 GHz spectrum last year. Today’s announcement is the start of a new journey as the regional first wireless IPTV and Video-On- Demand (VOD) services, which are based on 4G/LTE customer-premises equipment (CPE) and set top boxes (STBs). Furthermore, this innovative service will pave the way for Etisalat to lead 5G in the world.

Saeed AlZarouni, Senior Vice President, Mobile Network, Etisalat said: “IPTV over WTTx will revolutionize TV service availability for Etisalat customers, making it seamless for them to watch subscription-based e-Life TV content across Etisalat’s 4G networks. Etisalat customers are becoming more reliant on Home Broadband (HBB) services; therefore, offering rich TV entertainment over our LTE network will address this requirement and meet their growing need for rich and varied content.”

“A WTTx solution also creates an opportunity for us to maximize existing LTE investments and capacity while improving returns as it provides immediate delivery for IPTV home entertainment.” - AlZarouni added.