UAE mobile users set to gain faster, more reliable service

For mobile users across the UAE, faster and more reliable connectivity has moved a step closer. Telecoms group e& has launched what it describes as the world’s first mobile network operating on Upper 6GHz (U6GHz), a development the company frames as accelerating the nation’s transition to the 6G era and improving everyday service for the people who rely on it.

The announcement does not mean 6G cellular technology has officially arrived. What the new network does deliver, according to e&, is a set of innovations that elevate the current 5G-advanced experience while laying the groundwork for sixth-generation technology to become standard. For users of smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices, 6G is expected to bring faster speeds and data transfers.

Chief technology officer Marwan Bin Shakar called the launch a milestone, saying the company had moved from technical validation to a live commercial reality that significantly elevates the 5G-advanced experience for customers today, while operationalising the native architecture needed for 6G. He added that the achievement directly underpins the UAE’s vision to remain the world’s most advanced digital hub, supported by world-class infrastructure and next-generation connectivity.

The practical benefits for customers in crowded places were central to the engineering work. According to e&’s news release, engineers used advanced beamforming capabilities to overcome limitations on existing 5G networks. The company also said it employed superior interference suppression to ensure quality service in densely populated areas, where network congestion most directly affects ordinary users.

Meanwhile, the launch is the latest in a series of UAE developments tied to the eventual adoption of 6G. Last month, telecoms company du and Khalifa University announced field trials for 6G, which they said validated the country’s push to be a hub for innovation in the technology. A paper published by du and the university described testing conducted on live macro infrastructure in Mohamed bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi, where outdoor coverage of up to 500 metres was achieved, along with peak downlink speeds approaching 1.5 gigabits per second.

Regulatory groundwork has also played a role. In 2024, the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Regulatory Authority announced plans to allocate 600MHz and 6GHz bands, a move that helped accelerate the development of 6G services in the Arab world’s second-largest economy.

The wider industry expects the shift to unfold over the coming years. Samsung, one of the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers, has predicted widespread adoption of 6G networks by 2030, with completion of standards and early commercialisation by 2028. New generations of wireless technology tend to emerge about every decade, and research into 6G began in 2020, with field tests viewed as crucial for making the technology a reality. For now, the e& launch marks an early, tangible step in that transition, one the company says is already improving the service its customers use each day. Whether the UAE’s bet on Upper 6GHz translates into everyday gains for users before the decade turns will depend on how quickly the rest of the ecosystem follows.