Telecoms

Gulf’s push for 6G networks comes too soon, say telecoms experts

March 10, 2025, 3:49 PM

A woman uses her smartphone. Analysts say the real challenge for Gulf telecoms operators is not 6G, but getting more from 5G

UAE and Saudi Arabia plan 6G rollout
Growth in Mena data use is slowing
‘Unlikely’ to provide revenue increase

Gulf plans to develop sixth-generation networks may be premature given the region’s data use and the lack of an immediate need for ultra-fast 6G, say telecoms experts.

Although 5G networks are still being rolled out across the region, the UAE is targeting the start of 6G services before 2030. Saudi Arabia has begun laying the regulatory foundation for 6G.

The successor to 5G will be able to use higher frequencies and provide higher capacity and lower latency – with waiting times of one microsecond or less.

However, Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson is forecasting that data consumption growth rates in the Middle East and North Africa will drop from nearly 60 percent in 2022 to below 20 percent in 2029 – despite the increased popularity of extended and augmented reality tools.

This projected slowdown may challenge the business case for 6G.

“It seems unlikely that 6G will result in revenue growth for the operators,” William Webb, CEO of telecom consulting firm Commcisive, told AGBI.

He has assessed various potential use cases for 6G and concluded that “none really changes things”.

“Either they do not generate much traffic or they do not have a viable business case – or they are rather niche, for example, virtual reality headsets,” Webb said.

For consumers, the cost per gigabyte of data could be higher on 6G networks than on 5G, according to market researcher Mobile Experts.

Research published last year by management consultancy McKinsey & Company said the concern for operators is that spending growth has outpaced revenue growth since the advent of 4G.

Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia has announced how much it is investing in 6G infrastructure and services.

The real challenge in telecoms is how to leverage existing 5G networks, said Geusseppe González, head of digital infrastructure at tech consultancy Access Partnership.

“Most industry stakeholders are still focused on implementing, learning and improving 5G releases” as well as obtaining returns on the funds “already invested in 5G expansion”, he said.

5G and 5G-Advanced are likely to be sufficient for most uses, so 6G may need a different approach, said González.

“I wish I knew of a future application that would make 6G thrive but, unfortunately, I don't,” he said. “The connectivity industry is still grappling with this same question for 5G.”