The ‘5G-Advanced’ project tested 5G using 400 megahertz of 6 GHz spectrum

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the completion of the second phase of its “5G-Advanced” trials project, saying that the tests achieved speeds up to 10 Gbps using a wide swath of 6 GHz spectrum.

In a release, TDRA noted that the new phase of this trial was conducted in cooperation with local telecom service providers Emirates Telecommunications Group Company (e&) and Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du). The main aim of the trial was to “unlock the full speed of 5G in the 6 GHz frequency range” using 400 megahertz of bandwidth, along with verifying the potential of this band in improving the user experience in the UAE.

The regulator explained the significance of the 6 GHz frequency band lies in the fact that it marks an “advanced step towards the widespread application of the IoT” and other advanced 5G use cases, by reaching speeds of 10 Gbps. The regulator also claimed that the UAE was the first country to reach this speeds at both regional and global level.

Majed Sultan al-Mesmar, TDRA’s general director, said: “In this trial, we have used cutting-edge technology, through which we were able to make the most out of 5G, and we aspire through the results we have achieved to make a qualitative leap that not only improves the quality of services provided, but also sets the stage for future innovations.

“The exponential number of Internet users and the scientific advances witnessed by the world today require new speeds to accommodate the increasing load on networks and keep up with the high specifications of emerging technologies on the world stage such as metaverse applications. Having attained a speed of 10Gbps under this trial won’t become ordinary with time. This new, globally unprecedented speed will lead to faster data transfer, ushering in a new era of high-quality streaming and seamless cloud services. The trial will also enhance the IoT by providing the infrastructure necessary to simultaneously handle multiple connected devices, while ensuring seamless and reliable connectivity,” al-Mesmar added.