Milestone reinforces du’s leadership in next-generation network innovation and spectrum strategy
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June 2026: du, a leading UAE telecom and digital services provider, has announced the world’s first deployment of 5G-Advanced 5G-A services over L-Band 1.4 GHz spectrum in commercial network, a landmark achievement cementing du’s position as a global pioneer in advanced network innovation and 5G evolution.
Building on its growing track record of firsts in 5G-Advanced, this milestone reinforces du’s commitment to maximizing the potential of its spectrum portfolio and continuously raising the bar for connectivity across the UAE. The integration of L-Band within its 5G-Advanced network significantly enhances spectrum efficiency, improves overall network capacity and delivers a more consistent and reliable experience for customers, laying the foundation for next-generation connectivity services.
The L-Band (1.4 GHz) spectrum brings a distinct advantage through its optimal balance between wide-area coverage reach and network capacity. Its favorable propagation characteristics enable deeper indoor penetration and stronger signal consistency across a broader geographic footprint, helping reduce coverage gaps across dense urban, suburban, and indoor environments. This deployment also delivers a meaningful uplift in uplink performance, directly translating into a better quality of experience for end users.
The commercial results validate L-Band’s role as a powerful complementary layer within du’s multi-band 5G-Advanced strategy, strengthening du’s network resilience, enabling more effective load balancing across spectrum layers, and enhancing capacity during peak traffic demand.
“At du, we are committed to setting new benchmarks in network quality and service excellence,” said Saleem AlBlooshi, Chief Technology Officer at du. “The successful deployment of 5G-Advanced services is a proud global first for du and a testament to the ingenuity of our network teams. The L-Band spectrum initiative reflects our commitment to innovation and our continuous efforts to maximize spectrum resources to deliver superior connectivity experiences for our customers.”
This deployment is a core component of du’s broader strategy to pioneer advanced radio technologies and spectrum innovations that power emerging use cases, including enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), fixed wireless access (FWA), massive IoT, and future AI-driven digital services.
du’s 5G-Advanced platform serves as the foundation for next-generation capabilities, including ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). These capabilities support the development of smarter cities, connected industries, and a fully digitized society, in direct alignment with the UAE’s national digital transformation vision.
This milestone has been made possible through the leadership and support of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), whose proactive facilitation of strategic spectrum access for IMT services remains instrumental in advancing the UAE’s global leadership in telecommunications and ICT innovation.
As part of its long-term commitment to the nation’s connectivity goals, du remains dedicated to leveraging the latest technologies to expand network capabilities, enhance customer experience, improve operational efficiency, and reduce environmental impact, while delivering cutting-edge digital services across the country.
About du:
du adds life to life with a comprehensive portfolio of mobile, fixed, broadband, entertainment services, and fintech solutions. Through a digital-first approach powered by ultra-reliable fiber and 5G technology, du delivers bespoke solutions leveraging cloud computing, AI-driven analytics, advanced cybersecurity, and IoT integration. As a trusted digital telco enabler spearheading the UAE’s digital transformation, we collaborate with a dynamic partner ecosystem to propel industries and society toward operational excellence, shaping a more connected and digitally advanced future across the region.
