By John Tanner
The UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) unveiled on Wednesday its roadmap to not only implement 6G in the country, but to contribute heavily to the technology’s global development.
According to a TDRA statement, the 6G roadmap will kick off this year with the establishment of a committee tasked with conducting scientific studies, research, and the development of technical standards and specifications for 6G. The committee will submit the resulting studies to global standards organisations including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), IEEE and 3GPP.
The TDRA said that the committee will be helmed by Khalifa University, with membership extended to manufacturers and operators, as well as the TDRA itself.
Under the 6G roadmap, the TDRA also aims to facilitate 6G experiments to advance the technology within a comprehensive ecosystem through strategic collaborations with industrial, academic, and governmental sectors.
This, paired with spectrum management practices under the TDRA’s ‘ICT Regulatory Sandbox,’ will pave the way for the launch and widespread adoption of 6G services in the UAE before 2030, the regulator said.
While different industry players and governments have their own visionary ideas of what they think 6G ought to enable beyond what 5G can do, the TDRA’s 6G roadmap envisions applications in “artificial intelligence, network virtualization, integrated sensing, and comprehensive coverage”.
In particular, says the TDRA, 6G should support use cases that enable digital transmission of human senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. The TDRA said this sort of breakthrough would not only enhance the capabilities of robotics and elevate AI, but also revolutionize various domains, including autonomous intelligent transportation systems, and enable transformative developments in healthcare, such as remote surgery and diagnostics.
The roadmap also includes continuing enhancement of 5G networks to improve efficiency in frequency spectrum utilization, connection density and traffic management, with the goal of optimizing performance in specific regions and significantly reducing response time.
The TDRA also said the 6G roadmap is designed to include environmental sustainability practices, fulfil the UN’s SDGs, help bridge the digital divide and strengthen privacy and security measures.
TDRA director general Majed Sultan Al Mesmar said the 6G roadmap aligns with the UAE’s futuristic directives, including UAE Centennial 2071 and the “We the UAE 2031” vision.
“These visionary frameworks, characterized by their pillars, aim to enhance the UAE’s global position as a hub for the new economy and the establishment of a forward ecosystem,” he said.
TDRA deputy director general Mohammed Al Ramsi added, “This plan signifies a turning point in the evolution of telecommunications sector, as the support for 6G networks will unlock new and unprecedented use cases. It will enhance user experiences and facilitate innovative communication between individuals and devices.”
