du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Company (EITC), has taken the 5G experience to new heights by demonstrating the region’s first-ever Video over LTE (ViLTE) 5G call. Taking place at du’s headquarters in Al Salam Tower, Dubai, the video call was made using the telco’s state of the art commercial 4G and 5G Non-standalone (NSA) network, IMS Core, and 5G smartphones.

By enabling Access and Core Networks to support and deliver High Definition (HD) video calling capabilities, this breakthrough builds on the recent unveiling of du’s revolutionary 5G network, which will transform users’ lives with an unprecedented connected experience.

‘Expanding connected possibilities’

“As a pragmatic enabler of world-class technology that empowers consumers, businesses, and government entities all over the UAE, du is proud to be revealing 5G innovations that will shape the connected future of tomorrow,” said Saleem AlBlooshi, Chief Technology Officer, EITC.

“The success of our ViLTE and 5G video call demonstration is an excellent showcase of the fast and reliable potential of our 5G network. With advanced video calling capabilities across all platforms currently supported by du, our next generation connectivity offerings will deliver an experiential dividend that is second to none.”

‘Transforming digital experiences’

The success of the HD video call demonstration lays a solid foundation for enhancing du’s 5G user experience. This also marks the maturity of du’s 5G end-to-end ecosystem.

du’s intelligent and simplified 5G network is powered by native Cloud technologies, and the fully virtualized 5G core supports full convergence of 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G NSA and SA (standalone) technologies.

This supplies the perfect base for ViLTE technology to thrive. As an extension to Voice over LTE (VoLTE), ViLTE adds HD video to the voice service over LTE and 5G. It does not require additional registration or a specific application, and provides the security of SIM-based authentication, unlike other Over the Top (OTT) applications.

du’s recently-launched 5G network offers the fastest speed of 1.26+ Gbps to end users. With this recent breakthrough, EITC’s subscribers will soon enjoy an unprecedented range of digital experiences, along with enriched video and voice communications, over LTE and 5G Networks.