The United Arab Emirates, through its Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, has announced the launch of the world’s first commercial upper 6GHz (U6GHz) network in partnership with Huawei, Nokia, e& and du. The milestone was unveiled during the SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit 2026.
The launch positions the UAE at the forefront of global digital innovation, as the U6GHz spectrum—often described as the “golden spectrum”—enables ultra-fast connectivity with speeds of up to 10Gbps. The development reflects a broader transformation in network capabilities to support rising data demands and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence applications.
Speaking at the summit, Eng. Saif Bin Ghelaita highlighted the country’s ambition to become a “10 Giga intelligent nation,” emphasising support for the U6GHz ecosystem and calling on industry players, including device manufacturers and chipmakers, to accelerate commercialisation efforts.
The initiative was formalised during a joint commercialisation ceremony attended by stakeholders including the SAMENA Telecommunications Council, GSMA, and technology partners such as HONOR and Tozed, underscoring broad industry alignment behind the new ecosystem.
A parallel policy and technology session at the summit, chaired by Eng. Tareq Al Awadhi, said: “The upper 6 GHz band is a key resource for IMT services and support future mobile technologies 5G Advanaced and it will be foundation for 6G. This first dialogue on deployment alignment among various stakeholders is both timely and necessary.”
The U6GHz band, spanning 6425–7125 MHz and identified as Band n104 by global standards, offers 700 MHz of continuous bandwidth. This allows a balance between wide coverage and high-capacity performance, addressing the growing need for both high-speed downloads and uplink capabilities driven by AI-powered systems.
Industry estimates suggest the spectrum will support peak speeds of up to 10Gbps downlink and 1Gbps uplink under 5G-Advanced, while also laying the groundwork for the transition to 6G. The technology is expected to play a critical role in strengthening sectors such as healthcare, finance and manufacturing by enabling reliable, low-latency connectivity.
The announcement builds on recent global momentum around U6GHz deployment. At MWC26, Huawei introduced a full suite of compatible products, while global operators conducted successful field tests, signaling readiness for large-scale commercialization.
Bocar BA, CEO of SAMENA Council, stated: “With this U6GHz ecosystem launch, the UAE has moved ahead of many markets in transitioning from trials to commercial rollouts, and it is a privilege that this development has taken place during the Leaders’ Summit 2026, an industry leadership meeting held during these challenging times in the regional context, to foster dialogue, build support for the ecosystem, and to signal continuity in efforts toward collaboration and development.”
Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA, GSMA, added: “The U6GHz ecosystem is now sufficiently ready to support commercial deployment. The band will play a central role in achieving 10Gbps connectivity and serve as an initial spectrum for future 6G networks. The Middle East can leverage U6GHz during the 5G-A phase to gain a first-mover advantage.”
The UAE’s progress follows earlier strategic steps, including allocating the U6GHz band for mobile services in 2024 after international consensus at WRC-23, and conducting successful field tests in 2025 with partners including Huawei and e&. These efforts culminated in the official launch, marking the country’s entry into the U6GHz era.
The rollout is expected to expand across major cities and economic zones, supporting applications such as smart cities, digital healthcare, industrial automation and immersive technologies. By 2028, U6GHz coverage is projected to reach a significant portion of the population, reinforcing the UAE’s ambitions for long-term digital growth and global leadership in next-generation connectivity.
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