The UAE has taken another step towards next-generation mobile communications after telecom operator e& activated what it describes as the world’s first commercial mobile network using Upper 6GHz spectrum.
The deployment brings the 6GHz band into commercial use on e& UAE’s existing 5G-Advanced network, even as international standards for 6G have yet to be finalised. Governments and telecommunications companies are investing in spectrum and network infrastructure as they prepare for technologies expected to support artificial intelligence applications, smart cities and industrial automation.
The spectrum used in the deployment covers the 6425MHz to 6775MHz range and provides up to 350MHz of continuous bandwidth, according to e&.
The company said additional spectrum capacity will become increasingly important as mobile data consumption grows and new applications place greater demands on wireless networks. AI services, extended-reality applications and connected industrial systems are expected to require faster connections and lower latency.
Marwan Bin Shakar, chief technology officer at e& UAE, said the commercial activation represented a significant stage in the company’s network development.
The deployment combines the Upper 6GHz spectrum with 256TRX Giga-MIMO antenna technology. According to e&, the system increases the number of transceiver channels compared with conventional 5G installations and is intended to improve network performance in densely populated urban areas.
The company said the network can achieve peak download speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second and upload speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.
The technology is being introduced while the global telecommunications industry continues to develop the technical standards that will define 6G networks. Although commercial 6G services are still some years away, operators are using 5G-Advanced infrastructure and new spectrum bands to test capabilities expected to become important for future networks.
e& said the deployment supports the UAE’s national 6G roadmap, led by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority. The company said the project places the UAE among the countries moving early to deploy technologies that could contribute to future 6G development.
The move reflects a wider effort by countries and telecommunications operators to secure additional spectrum as demand for wireless capacity increases. Upper 6GHz spectrum is being considered internationally as an important resource for expanding high-capacity mobile networks.
For the UAE, the commercial deployment provides an opportunity to test the performance of new spectrum and antenna technology under real operating conditions rather than relying solely on laboratory trials.
As research and standardisation for 6G continue, operators are expected to use advanced 5G networks as a bridge towards systems capable of supporting more connected devices, autonomous technologies and AI-driven services.
