UAE Telecom Partners with Universities to Develop 6G Technology Achieving 3x Network Capacity Boost

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 21, UAE telecom operator e& (Etisalat) jointly announced research results on sixth-generation mobile communication technology with Khalifa University and New York University Abu Dhabi, having developed a 6G network planning and capacity design framework for centimeter-wave frequency bands. The research shows that employing ultra-massive antenna array technology in the 7 GHz band can increase network capacity to 3 times the original while maintaining the coverage of existing 5G base station networks. The related research findings have been published in a peer-reviewed journal under the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

This research focuses on addressing the coverage and capacity design challenges when centimeter-wave frequency bands are applied to mobile communication networks. The research team incorporated Extremely Large Aperture Array (ELAA) and Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) technologies into the network design framework, leveraging antenna arrays and spatial multiplexing technology to improve wireless connectivity under centimeter-wave propagation conditions, and evaluated the coverage and capacity of different network configurations.

The framework covers base station coverage planning, capacity calculation, radio link budgeting, interference management, and performance evaluation of outdoor signal propagation into indoor environments. The research also considers the 6 GHz upper band and higher mid-band spectrum, providing a design basis for operators to evaluate the evolution of existing macro base station networks toward 6G technology.

The research results stem from existing sixth-generation mobile communication technology cooperation between e& (Etisalat) and the two universities. In October 2025, e& (Etisalat) and New York University Abu Dhabi completed a terahertz communication trial, achieving data transmission speeds exceeding 145 gigabits per second; in the same month, e& (Etisalat) also signed agreements with Khalifa University and Zayed University to establish a national 6G innovation center and a 5G/6G joint testing platform. The centimeter-wave network design research announced this time focuses on coverage, capacity, and upgrade solutions for existing base station infrastructure.

The research findings have been published in IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, and the team will use them to support subsequent 6G network engineering planning and technical standard development. This announcement did not disclose the number of new base stations to be built, commercial equipment procurement contracts, or actual 6G network deployment plans.