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As digital infrastructure becomes the backbone of economic competitiveness, leading telecommunications operators in the Middle East are taking decisive strides to secure global digital leadership. In a landmark development, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a global benchmark as its major telecom operators, e& UAE and du, officially launched commercial Upper 6GHz (U6GHz) network services to strengthen 5G-Advanced (5.5G) and 5G+ infrastructure while laying the foundation for future 6G networks.
These major deployments align directly with national strategies to transform digital infrastructure, designed to enhance the region’s attractiveness and competitiveness for international business, trade, and investment opportunities, as well as providing world-class connectivity to support seamlessly rising numbers of overseas tourists and visitors.
e& UAE Commercialises World’s First U6GHz 256TRX Giga-MIMO Mobile Network
e& UAE has set a global precedent by announcing the commercial activation of the world’s first mobile network operating on Upper 6GHz (U6GHz) 256TRX Giga-MIMO technology, transitioning the advanced spectrum into live commercial service. Driven by the national 6G roadmap under the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), the deployment unlocks the commercial potential of the “Golden 6GHz Band” over existing 5.5G infrastructure toward IMT-2030 and 6G evolution.
Operating on the 6425–6775 MHz band with up to 350 MHz of continuous bandwidth, the network utilises 256TRX Giga-MIMO technology to dramatically expand antenna capacity. The network delivers single-user peak throughputs of up to 10 Gbps downlink and 1 Gbps uplink, offering fibre-like performance over the air and expanding single-cell throughput capacity beyond 50 Gbps to power AI-native operations, Extended Reality (XR), autonomous industrial systems, and smart city applications.
Marwan bin Shakar, Chief Technology Officer of e& UAE, stated: "The commercial activation of U6GHz 256TRX Giga-MIMO marks a defining milestone in e& UAE’s network evolution. We have moved from technical validation to a live commercial reality that significantly elevates the 5G-Advanced experience for our customers today, while operationalising the native architecture needed for 6G. This achievement directly underpins the UAE’s vision to remain the world's most advanced digital hub."
du Delivers World’s First Commercial End-to-End U6GHz Customer Solution
Complementing mobile network advancements, du announced the delivery of the world’s first commercial U6GHz connectivity through a fully integrated, end-to-end network using commercially available Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) on its live 5G+ network. By connecting routers in homes and business environments, du has translated next-generation spectrum into immediate commercial benefits.
Operating across 350 MHz of contiguous spectrum in the 6775–7125 MHz band, du provides expanded capacity to support next-generation Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), cloud AI applications, and immersive digital environments.
Saleem Alblooshi, Chief Technology Officer at du, commented: "Today, we are bringing U6GHz into the hands of customers through a fully integrated commercial service, unlocking new opportunities for consumers, businesses and emerging digital applications. Driven by TDRA’s forward-looking spectrum strategy, this achievement reflects our commitment to turning innovation into customer value while reinforcing the UAE's leadership in advanced connectivity."
Paving the Way for Next-Generation Digital Economies
The commercial deployment across contiguous U6GHz spectrum (6425–7125 MHz) by both e& UAE and du demonstrates a comprehensive national approach to digital transformation. By accumulating live commercial deployment experience across mobile and end-to-end user solutions, the Middle East is demonstrating how advanced 5G-Advanced networks can drive digital economic ambitions, providing a clear reference model for telecom evolution worldwide.
