Superfast internet connectivity is a driving force behind the functioning of UAE's thriving digital infrastructure, which makes it a preferred destination for professionals and businesses. The country's telecom authority aims to bring the entire country under 5G internet coverage by 2025, and local telco Etisalat has a major role to play in this transition.

The Emirati brand had recently made news for achieving record high 5G speed, by combining spectrums through a prototype device, to hit 9.1 Gbps. Shortly after joining hands with Ericsson to deploy commercial high band 5G to provide faster internet for Emiratis, Etisalat has announced plans for raising the bar by bringing 6G connectivity in the country.

A natural successor to 5G, this service will carry internet speed from the gigabytes per second range, right into the terabyte space. It'll unlock a new connected ecosystem where autonomous cars will be connected more seamlessly, while WiFi implants will facilitate communication between humans and machines.

Availability of 6G, will boost remote-controlled factories, and will facilitate coordination with smart cars, AI-equipped homes and robots, which will become a common sight. This will also transform relationships between human beings, along with interaction between people and machines.

But Etisalat's vision isn't restricted to our surroundings, as it now aims for the stars with an ambition to take 6G into space. This may also place in it the same league as Elon Musk's Starlink, which is creating a cluster of satellites to beam high speed internet.

Etisalat's recent feat in collaboration with Ericsson has enabled it to provide connections capable of hitting 4.2 Gbps speed, with lower latency.

The gulf's move towards 5G has picked up pace in the past couple of years, and the island kingdom of Bahrain has already achieved 100% coverage. Etisalat's move to accelerate efforts for deploying 6G will bolster UAE's position as the regional leader in tech.