Telecom Review Group Accelerates 10 Gbps Connectivity in the GCC with U6GHz Launch

Accelerating Connectivity in the GCC: The Role of U6GHz

The 20th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, held on October 20 and 21, 2026, at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton, Dubai Jumeirah Beach Residence, transformed into a pivotal platform for discussing how advanced spectrum allocations, particularly above 6 GHz (U6GHz), could fast-track the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) towards achieving 10 Gbps connectivity.

Uniting Industry Leaders

The summit gathered notable sector leaders, moderated by Issam Eid, Marketing Director and Partner at Telecom Review Group. Participants included Dr. Bilel Jamoussi from the ITU, Jawad Abbassi of GSMA, and other prominent figures from regional telecom companies. The discussion centered around the importance of robust spectrum policies and regulatory coordination in promoting advanced connectivity solutions across the region.

Spectrum Policy as a Foundation

Emphasizing the strides made by the United Arab Emirates in realizing commercial deployment of U6GHz, Engineer Saif Bin Ghalita from TDRA outlined the country’s spectrum roadmap. This includes assigning 500 MHz in the 6 GHz range for indoor Wi-Fi in 2020, followed by the allocation of an additional 700 MHz for international mobile telecommunications (IMT) within the national frequency plan.

Bin Ghalita highlighted the collaboration with Huawei, noting that the company has been a reliable partner for over 25 years. This partnership is seen as a critical factor in transforming ambitious tech missions into tangible progress, leading to a commercial launch of U6GHz.

The Global Momentum for U6GHz

The GSMA highlighted that international support for U6GHz is gaining momentum, with over 80% of the global population now backing the mobile use of this band. With more than 60 mobile ecosystem operators advocating for large-scale adoption, the push towards enabling 6G connectivity becomes increasingly viable. Abbassi shared insights on the economic benefits of licensed operations over unlicensed, noting that the former can generate sevenfold returns compared to the latter.

Realizing 10 Gbps Performance

The ultra-wide bandwidth of U6GHz holds the potential for significant advances in data speeds. Notably, du reported achieving a maximum data transmission speed of 10 Gbps during a 5G-Advanced demonstration that utilized both U6GHz and Sub-3 GHz spectrum. Dr. Mahmoud Sherif underscored this achievement as a substantial milestone for the UAE’s telecommunications ecosystem, bridging the gap between current 5G capabilities and future 6G technologies.

Steven Liu from Huawei recognized the versatility of U6GHz. Its application extends beyond high-speed home broadband to demanding mobile services, though actual performance will depend on network configuration and deployment conditions. Notably, he suggests that the industry can leverage U6GHz to enhance user experiences and introduce innovative services.

Moving Towards 6G

After the panel discussion, a milestone ceremony was held to commemorate the world’s first commercial U6GHz launch, featuring Allen Tang from Huawei and Toni Eid, founder of Telecom Review Group. This event marked a crucial step forward in the UAE’s ambition to transition towards a 10 Gbps society.

To realize this ambitious vision, the region must prioritize converging infrastructure, harmonized standards, ready-to-use devices, and sustainable investments. These elements will be pivotal in how effectively the GCC realizes the potential of U6GHz and pivots towards 6G connectivity.