Etisalat UAE Launches World First 5.5G Uplink MIMO Technology

Etisalat UAE commercially launched the world's first 2x2 uplink MIMO with carrier aggregation for smartphones on its 5.5G network. The technology allows compatible devices to send two streams of data simultaneously and combine network capacity across different frequency bands, resulting in upload speeds up to three times faster than previous capabilities.

The upgrade is designed to support increasing demand for AI-powered applications, cloud services, and the sharing of high-resolution media. The company stated that the advancement ensures the network can handle real-time data transmission for users who are increasingly creating and sending rich content to the cloud rather than just consuming it.

Chief Technology Officer Marwan Bin Shakar noted that the capability increases upload capacity where it matters most. He explained that smartphones are no longer primarily consuming content but are instead creating and sharing richer data with AI and cloud applications in real time.