UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has launched the fourth updated version of the National Frequency Plan, including the allocation of the 600 MHz and 6 GHz frequency bands for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) systems.
With this launch, the UAE became one of the first countries worldwide to take the initiative in allocating such frequency bands to operators and the move reflects the UAE’s leadership in the adoption of advanced technologies, especially in the telecommunications sector.
The actual operation of these new frequency bands is expected to begin between the years 2025 and 2026, which marks a quantum leap to secure the infrastructure of smart cities based on the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and other technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) that require high frequencies (HF) and super-fast speeds in data transfer and exchange.
Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar Director General – TDRA
“The adoption of the new bands would provide the quantum leap needed to ensure that the UAE, which has always been ahead, will maintain this pioneer ship for years to come. 6G technologies represent a paradigm shift in the world of technology, as they provide blazing-fast data speeds in the terabit level, a response time (latency) of less than a millisecond, and improved networking through artificial intelligence. It will also incorporate joint communication and sensing technologies, enabling innovative applications such as real-time hologram connectivity, virtual and augmented reality, smart cities, as well as large-scale integration of the Internet of Things. These advancements will enhance the country’s readiness to lead the global digital transformation.”
This new development will also pave the way for the development of 6G services expected to start in 2030. In parallel, the UAE continues to work on the use of advanced 5G technologies within the 6 GHz band, achieving a data transfer speed of up to 10 Gbps.
This move is part of the UAE’s strategic vision to build a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation and technology while supporting the nation’s goals of becoming a global ICT hub.
HE Talal Belhoul Al Falasi, Chairman of TDRA’s Board of Directors, commented that, “The adoption of the 600 MHz and 6 GHz frequency bands for IMT services is a feat that coincides with our joy of Union Day 53. It is in line with the pillars of our national vision “We the UAE 2031”, which provides for moving from one milestone to another, and comes as an actual translation of the spirit of leadership and excellence that characterized our national march, which aims to create a brighter future according to a roadmap laid out by our wise leadership, and implemented by compatriots with their creative minds and determination to enhance the leadership of our beloved nation in communications, the key engine for development in various sectors.”
“The importance of this step lies in the meanings of proactivity and forward thinking that lay the foundation for the coming years of modernization and evolution in light of the dramatic acceleration that characterizes our times,” Al Falasi further added.
