Abu Dhabi-based telecoms provider Etisalat has said it will start offering commercial fifth-generation (5G) fixed internet services to consumers in selected locations in the UAE in September.

The service will be gradually expanded to other parts of the country "depending on consumer demand," the company said in a statement.

The firm did not specify the areas where 5G fixed services will be available in the initial roll-out phase or when roaming 5G services will be made available.

The subscription fee for the service has also not been disclosed.

5G is the next generation of internet connectivity, building on the older 4G and 4.5G, and promises average download speeds of one gigabit per second.

The larger bandwidth, which allows more devices and users to be connected to the internet at the same time, is expected to accelerate the proliferation and adoption of internet-of-things, artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles.

5G is also expected to enable uninterrupted video streaming, better gaming experience, and augmented and virtual reality applications.

5G customer premises equipment and 5G-enabled smartphones are expected to be available next year.