The United Arab Emirates has taken a formal step toward next-generation connectivity by launching a commercial Upper 6GHz ecosystem at the SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit 2026, bringing together a cross-industry coalition of regulators, operators, chipmakers, and device manufacturers under a shared commitment to deploying the spectrum band at scale. The development reflects a shift towards deployment of new spectrum to support rising data demand and artificial intelligence-driven network traffic, while positioning the UAE among early adopters shaping next-generation connectivity. The announcement marks a pivotal moment for the region’s telecommunications landscape, as the Upper 6GHz band is widely seen as a critical enabler of both the ongoing 5G-Advanced rollout and the eventual transition to 6G.
The Upper 6GHz initiative was advanced during the 5G-Advanced and Artificial Intelligence Applications for Resilient Economy Forum, held as part of the summit, where industry stakeholders including chipmakers and device manufacturers participated in the first step towards commercialisation. During the joint commercialisation initiation ceremony, representatives from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, the SAMENA Telecommunications Council, Huawei, du, e&, GSMA, Nokia, HONOR, and Tozed confirmed their participation in the ecosystem. A dedicated session on policy, technology, and deployment alignment was also convened, with GSMA serving as a policy partner and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority chairing discussions around how to balance spectrum allocation for future mobile technologies while ensuring coexistence with existing services in the band.
Upper 6GHz refers to the 6425 to 7125 megahertz spectrum range, identified by 3GPP as Band n104, and with 700 megahertz of contiguous bandwidth, it is designed to support both wide-area coverage and high-capacity performance as network demands increase. Estimates from SAMENA Council technology members indicate that Upper 6GHz could support peak speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second downlink and 1 gigabit per second uplink under 5G-Advanced. The band is also expected to support the transition from 5G-Advanced to 6G, in line with a roadmap issued by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority. In the UAE, the spectrum is expected to support infrastructure development across sectors including finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. At Mobile World Congress 2026, Huawei introduced Upper 6GHz-compatible products designed to deliver coverage comparable to C-band, while operators including Vodafone, China Mobile, and Brazil TIM completed field testing to validate readiness for deployment.
Bocar BA, Chief Executive Officer of the SAMENA Council, noted that the UAE had moved ahead of many markets in transitioning from trials to commercial rollouts, adding that the Leaders’ Summit 2026 served as a platform to foster dialogue, build ecosystem support, and signal continued commitment to collaboration and development. GSMA stated that the Upper 6GHz ecosystem is ready to support commercial deployment and will play a role in enabling 10 gigabits per second connectivity while serving as an initial spectrum for future 6G networks. Deployment is expected to expand across major cities and economic zones, supporting applications in areas such as smart cities, industrial systems, healthcare, and tourism, with potential use cases including remote medical diagnostics, traffic management, and immersive digital services. By 2028, Upper 6GHz networks are expected to cover more than 80 percent of the UAE population, supporting long-term digital infrastructure development and preparation for 6G.
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