Etisalat introduces faster smartphone uploads on 5.5G network

Etisalat UAE has commercially introduced technology that it says can triple smartphone upload speeds on its 5.5G network, targeting growing demand from artificial intelligence applications and high-resolution content sharing.

The operator announced on Monday that it had deployed 2×2 uplink multiple-input multiple-output, or MIMO, alongside carrier aggregation for compatible smartphones. It described the commercial combination as a global first, although the claim has not been independently established through comparative network testing.

The upgrade allows supported devices to transmit two separate data streams simultaneously while drawing on capacity across different radio frequency bands. Etisalat says the arrangement can deliver upload speeds up to three times those available without the capability, rather than guaranteeing the same improvement for every customer.

The company did not identify eligible smartphone models, disclose precisely where the feature is available or publish an absolute upload-speed figure for the new deployment. Those omissions leave the practical reach of the enhancement and its performance under everyday network conditions unclear.

Marwan Bin Shakar, chief technology officer of Etisalat UAE, said smartphones were shifting from devices primarily used to consume online content towards tools that create and transmit information. That change, he said, was altering the demands placed on mobile networks.

“Smartphones are no longer primarily consuming content; they are creating, sharing and increasingly sending richer data to AI and cloud applications in real time,” he said, explaining the operator’s emphasis on upload capacity.

The company identified high-resolution photography, video sharing, large file transfers and AI-powered services among the activities expected to benefit. Such applications can require substantial volumes of data to travel from a user’s handset to remote servers before processing or distribution can begin.

For example, a cloud-based AI assistant examining a photograph or document must first receive the material supplied by the user. Faster transmission could reduce the time spent sending that input, although overall response times also depend on server processing, congestion and the performance of the application itself.

The distinction matters because telecommunications providers have historically placed greater emphasis on download performance, reflecting demand for streaming, browsing and retrieving online content. Upload capacity is becoming more prominent as people publish higher-quality video, back up media and interact with cloud-based software from their phones.

MIMO uses multiple antennas or signal paths to carry information over a wireless connection. In the configuration announced by Etisalat, the uplink can carry two data streams at once. Carrier aggregation adds capacity by combining radio resources across frequency bands, potentially increasing the amount of information a compatible handset can send.

The two technologies are established elements of advanced mobile networking, but their combined commercial application to smartphone uploads is the specific development behind Etisalat’s announcement. The operator has not provided independent benchmark results comparing the upgraded service with conventional connections.

The advertised threefold improvement concerns uploading, not downloading. It also represents an upper limit rather than a typical measured result. Actual performance can vary with device support, radio conditions, available spectrum, distance from a mobile site and the number of customers using the network.

The launch extends work already undertaken on the operator’s 5.5G infrastructure. In December 2025, the company announced commercial deployment of four-carrier aggregation combining frequency division duplex and time division duplex spectrum, reporting peak download speeds exceeding four gigabits per second on supported smartphones.

That earlier deployment was described as live in selected areas, with wider availability planned during 2026 and beyond. The latest announcement does not say whether the new upload capability follows the same geographical timetable or requires additional activation for subscribers.

Etisalat also announced in June 2025 that it had achieved an uplink speed of 600 megabits per second on a live 5G network using aggregated frequency bands and three transmitting antennas on customer premises equipment. That demonstration involved different hardware and should not be treated as a measured speed for the newly announced smartphone feature.

The earlier technical achievements provide context for the company’s latest network development, but neither establishes the speeds ordinary smartphone customers will experience. Comparable performance measurements across supported devices and locations would be needed to assess those results.

The operator has linked its network investments to applications that depend on two-way communication, including cloud services and connected devices. Its latest statement, however, gave no figures for additional capital expenditure, expected subscriber uptake or the number of handsets currently able to use the upgrade.