The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority announces the launch of the Sixth Generation (6G) initiative in the UAE

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority announced the launch of the Sixth Generation (6G) initiative in the United Arab Emirates, during a committee meeting hosted by the Authority with the participation of a group of elite partners from federal and local government agencies, telecommunications service operators, a number of universities and research and development centres, in addition to mobile communications technology providers around the world.

The meeting was opened by Engineer Mohammed Al Ramsi, Deputy Director General of the Telecommunications Sector at the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, with a speech in which he stressed that the launch of the Sixth Generation Initiative through the establishment of the Sixth Generation Committee comes in line with the UAE’s vision of pioneering the future of communications and information technologies, and anticipating global technological changes by developing a national environment stimulating for innovation and scientific research in the field of advanced communications.

Al Ramsi said: “In 2015, we began our preparations for the fifth generation journey, which resulted in its commercial launch in 2019, making the UAE the first country in the region to achieve that achievement. Today we celebrate coverage exceeding 99.5% of populated areas, and more than 23,000 fifth generation sites, benefiting more than 10 million subscribers. These successes pave the way for a new phase in which we work with our partners to develop a national roadmap for the sixth generation, which will bring about a qualitative shift.” By integrating the digital and cognitive worlds, and investing in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and satellite networks to enable future applications. We at the Authority believe that the shift towards sixth generation technologies will not be just a technical development, but rather a strategic step towards building a sustainable knowledge economy that relies on innovation, artificial intelligence, and the integration of digital infrastructure across various sectors. We are building on a legacy of innovation and achievements, and together we strive towards a highly interconnected smart society that supports innovation and national prosperity.”

Through this initiative, the committee seeks to develop an integrated national system for the sixth generation by enhancing cooperation between national partners, establishing research and innovation programs in the fields of future communications through universities, academic institutions and research and development centres, accelerating the adoption of modern technology in vital sectors, supporting the development of sixth generation standards and specifications and presenting them to regional and international organizations working to adopt these standards, in addition to building a regulatory framework and integrated management of the frequency spectrum to keep pace with the requirements of the next stage.

In this context, two specialized subcommittees were formed to support the tasks of the main committee. Dr. Marwan Dabbah from Khalifa University heads the research and development work team, while Dr. Khaled Al-Awadhi from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority heads the work team on integration and strategic partnerships. Dr. Khaled Al-Awadhi stressed that “this step reflects the authority’s commitment to adopting a proactive approach in shaping the features of the next generation of communications, and strengthening the UAE’s position as a global center for developing and applying future technologies.”

The launch of the Sixth Generation Committee is a pivotal milestone in the UAE’s journey towards global technical leadership, as part of its continuing efforts to prepare early for the post-fifth generation era and support digital transformation and sustainable innovation initiatives. The committee will work to unify and coordinate national efforts concerned with sixth generation technologies through a comprehensive national platform that contributes to enabling the country to lead the future of advanced communications.