Telecom Egypt has completed a trial of mobile services using upper 6 GHz spectrum, marking what the company and regulators describe as a first for Egypt and Africa.
The trial was carried out in partnership with Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) and Huawei. It involved operating a mobile base station on the 6 GHz band and completing a data call using the spectrum.
Telecom Egypt CEO and Managing Director Tamer El Mahdi said the test reflects the company’s efforts to explore new technologies that could improve network performance and prepare for future connectivity demands.
He said the technology could help improve the customer experience while strengthening Telecom Egypt’s network capabilities and supporting the country’s wider digital transformation.
The trial achieved data speeds of around 1.7Gbps per user, according to Telecom Egypt, highlighting the upper 6 GHz band’s potential to support high-speed mobile services.
The NTRA said the spectrum could also help operators increase network capacity and improve service quality, particularly in high-traffic locations.
The regulator described the upper 6 GHz band as one of the frequency ranges being considered internationally for high-capacity mobile services, as countries continue to develop 5G and prepare for next-generation networks.
The growing use of data-intensive technologies is driving demand for greater network capacity, with 6 GHz spectrum offering potential benefits for AI, IoT, cloud and immersive services.
The trial allows Telecom Egypt to assess how the additional spectrum could expand network capacity, while giving regulators a better understanding of its potential for mobile use.
The successful test comes as African markets face growing demand for connectivity, making access to additional high-capacity spectrum increasingly important for future network expansion.
