e& UAE Unveils World’s First Commercial U6GHz Network, Pioneering 6G Era
The telecommunications operator has activated the world's inaugural commercial Upper 6GHz mobile network, positioning the UAE as a global leader in next-generation connectivity and advancing the nation's 6G roadmap.
e& UAE has achieved a historic milestone by launching the world’s first commercially operational mobile network utilising Upper 6GHz (U6GHz) 256TRX Giga-MIMO technology. The activation, announced on 29th September 2026, represents the transition of advanced spectrum infrastructure into active commercial service, establishing the UAE as a pioneering force in telecommunications innovation.
This significant development directly advances the UAE’s national 6G roadmap, overseen by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). By deploying U6GHz technology ahead of international 6G standardisation, the nation reinforces its position as a global benchmark for early adoption of transformative connectivity solutions.
The commercial network operates within the U6GHz spectrum range of 6425–6775 MHz, delivering up to 350 MHz of continuous ultra-wide bandwidth. The integration of state-of-the-art 256TRX Giga-MIMO technology substantially expands antenna transceiving capacity per site compared to conventional 64TRX deployments, enabling unprecedented network performance.
Marwan bin Shakar, Chief Technology Officer of e& UAE, reflected on the achievement: “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.”
The operational network delivers expanded capacity, ultra-precise dynamic beamforming, and superior interference suppression, maintaining seamless quality of service across densely populated urban environments. Single-user peak throughput reaches up to 10 Gbps downlink and 1 Gbps uplink, delivering fibre-equivalent broadband performance wirelessly. The advanced beamforming capabilities overcome propagation limitations typically associated with higher frequency bands, achieving coverage levels comparable to existing 3.5 GHz C-band infrastructure.
Single-cell throughput capacity exceeds 50 Gbps utilising commercial TDD bands, establishing the foundation for future service requirements. The commercial deployment enables critical digital ecosystems including AI-native network operations, immersive extended reality applications, autonomous industrial systems, and mission-critical smart-city infrastructure.
Through this deployment, e& UAE continues to establish an evolutionary telecommunications landscape, expanding high-capacity mobile connectivity nationwide whilst reinforcing the UAE’s broader digital economy aspirations and global technological leadership.
Source: WAM