e& UAE, the flagship telecom arm of global technology group e&, has successfully completed the Middle East region’s first hollow-core fibre (HCF) field trial in partnership with ZTT, a leading provider of advanced fibre optic solutions. The trial was conducted over a live external plant link between two operational facilities, marking a major milestone for next-generation fibre infrastructure in the UAE.
The field trial validated measurable latency improvements compared to conventional solid-glass fibre, recording latency reductions of up to 30 per cent under test conditions. Hollow-core fibre enables light to travel through air rather than glass, significantly improving transmission speed while also enhancing bandwidth efficiency and reducing signal degradation.
Abdul Rahman Al Humaidan, Senior Vice President for Access Network Development at e& UAE, said the successful validation represents a critical step toward low-latency transport for the country’s digital infrastructure. He noted that deploying HCF at scale positions the UAE to set new performance benchmarks for business services and public sector connectivity.
ZTT’s Chief Technology Officer, Cao Shanshan, highlighted that the results confirm HCF’s readiness for real-world deployment. The collaboration demonstrated meaningful latency gains that can directly benefit data centres, cloud connectivity, and other time-sensitive applications.
The hollow-core fibre solution offers ultra-low latency, improved signal integrity over long distances, high bandwidth capacity, and enhanced durability for outdoor environments. Designed to support demanding use cases, the technology is well suited for hyperscalers, cloud providers, and mission-critical enterprise networks.
The deployment reinforces e& UAE’s commitment to advancing the nation’s ICT infrastructure and accelerating digital transformation. It also reflects a shared focus by e& and ZTT on delivering sustainable, future-proof telecommunications technologies to support the UAE’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
