du achieves 5G-Advanced milestone with region’s first dual band deployment

du, the leading telecoms and digital services provider, has achieved a major breakthrough with the successful deployment of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technology on its live network — making du the region’s first operator and the UAE the first country to roll out this next-generation capability, in collaboration with Huawei. The launch reflects du’s continued commitment to pioneering cutting-edge innovations that enhance customer experience and support national digital ambitions.

The concept of the 64T64R Dual Band AAU in the 3.7 GHz (N78) and 2.6 GHz (N41) spectrum bands was first envisioned and initiated by du as part of its strategic roadmap to deliver enhanced capacity, improved coverage, and greater spectrum efficiency for its customers. Driven by du’s vision, the world’s first Dual Band Active Antenna Unit was conceived and successfully deployed in du’s live network — delivering breakthrough performance for customers and setting a new global benchmark in mobile innovation.

This advanced solution consolidates hardware, enhances spectrum efficiency, and improves network performance — all while significantly reducing power consumption and carbon footprint.

Saleem AlBlooshi, Chief Technology Officer at du, stated:
“5G-Advanced is a monumental leap forward for du and the UAE’s telecoms sector. This milestone reflects our ongoing efforts to deliver world-class connectivity and support the nation’s vision to be a global technology leader. It also reaffirms our focus on building a green, sustainable network for the future.”

Felix Liu, Chief of UAE Carrier Business at Huawei, stated:
“Huawei is privileged to be part of 5G-Advanced network construction together with du. We have been continuously engaged with our customers to understand network needs and provide tailored solutions which can deliver business success. Huawei’s 5G Dual Band AAU is another flagship solution that offers outstanding network performance and customer experience, and aligns with the UAE’s sustainability goals.”

The newly launched 5G-Advanced network delivers tangible benefits to customers and businesses alike. Users can expect ultra-fast data speeds for high-bandwidth services such as 8K video streaming and real-time conferencing, stronger coverage even in remote areas, and ultra-low latency ideal for critical applications including autonomous vehicles and smart city infrastructure. Enterprise customers will benefit from the network’s ability to support massive IoT deployments and large-scale digital services. Importantly, the new dual-band radio design promotes energy efficiency, contributing to du’s broader net zero sustainability targets.

This achievement further strengthens du’s leadership in 5G, particularly by delivering a peak data rate of approximately 5.4Gbps and average data rate improvements of up to 33%. The solution also demonstrated key performance gains, including increased peak data rates, stronger connectivity at the cell edge, and improved uplink speeds. Enabled by Massive MIMO and enhanced spectrum aggregation, the technology is setting new benchmarks for mobile performance in the UAE.

du’s 5G-Advanced network also provides a foundation for future innovation, integrating intelligent automation and enabling ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) and massive machine-type communication (mMTC). These capabilities open the door to smarter cities, connected industries, and a fully digitised society.

This achievement is part of du’s broader strategy to lead the evolution of 5G and beyond, in collaboration with global technology partners and local regulators — ensuring the UAE remains at the forefront of global digital transformation.