Low reliance on legacy networks gives the GCC a spectrum efficiency advantage.
Opensignal data shows that in Q1 2026, GCC users spent less than 3% of their connected time on legacy 2G and 3G networks. In comparison, across non-GCC Middle East North African markets, the figure is 21.6%. This gap shows why GCC markets are well-positioned to turn existing spectral resources into stronger mobile experiences.
Spectrum efficiency is often discussed through the lens of 5G, but the real challenge is how every mobile generation fits into the network. 2G and 3G were designed for voice, SMS and basic data. 4G and 5G support mobile broadband, video, cloud applications, IoT, enterprise connectivity and low-latency services. The same spectrum can therefore deliver different levels of capacity depending on which technology is using it.
This is where the GCC has a structural advantage. In Q1 2026, users across the six GCC markets spent just 1.6% of their connected time on 2G and 1.3% on 3G. This low reliance on legacy networks likely reflects several factors: higher smartphone adoption, a stronger 4G and 5G device base, more advanced network rollouts, and highly urbanized populations that are easier to serve with newer network layers. By contrast, in parts of non-GCC MENA, older devices, affordability constraints and wider rural coverage needs can keep 2G and 3G relevant for longer. The limited role of 2G and 3G in the GCC gives operators more room to refarm spectrum, reallocating it from older networks to higher-capacity 4G and 5G services.
“Refarming matters because several bands historically used for 2G and 3G are highly valuable for 4G and 5G.”
The 900MHz band has often supported wide-area 2G and 3G coverage, 1800MHz has moved from 2G into a core 4G layer, and 2100MHz has shifted from 3G toward 4G capacity.
As 2G and 3G usage falls across the GCC, operators have a stronger opportunity to reuse these bands for higher-capacity networks. This must be managed carefully to protect legacy devices, roaming, voice and machine-to-machine services, but the case for refarming becomes stronger as reliance on older technologies declines.
4G continues to anchor the GCC’s spectrum strategy
Even as 5G expands, 4G remains the dominant connectivity layer in the GCC. In Q1 2026, our GCC users spent an average of 80.7% of their connected time on 4G, compared with 15.9% on 5G. This means 4G cannot be treated as legacy. It remains the layer that provides broad coverage, mobility and device compatibility as users move between dense 5G zones, indoor environments and wider coverage areas.
The GCC’s 4G spectrum footprint reflects this role. 4G was observed across a broad mix of bands, led by 1800MHz and 2100MHz, with additional layers including 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 2300MHz and 2600MHz. This layered approach helps operators balance coverage and capacity while 5G scales. In the UAE, this multi-band 4G foundation remains critical — it underpins the coverage and device compatibility that enterprise deployments depend on as 5G scales.
5G turns spectrum into more consistent enterprise performance
5G delivers the clearest performance uplift in the GCC’s spectrum efficiency story because it shows how newer network technologies can extract more value from available spectrum. Across the six GCC markets, average 5G download speeds reached 282.1Mbps in Q1 2026, compared with 44.1Mbps on 4G. That makes 5G around 6.4 times faster than 4G on average.
But spectrum efficiency should not be measured by speed alone. For enterprise technology leaders, the more important question is whether networks can use available spectrum to deliver a consistently reliable experience. Opensignal’s Consistent Quality metric measures whether networks are good enough to support common demanding applications by looking at indicators such as download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss and time to first byte. In Q1 2026, GCC 5G achieved an average Consistent Quality score of 73.8%, compared with 67.8% on 4G. That difference matters for cloud applications, video collaboration, IoT platforms, AI-enabled services and digital transformation projects, where reliability is often more valuable than headline speed.
The UAE illustrates how this transition is taking shape
In Q1 2026, Opensignal users in the UAE experienced average 5G download speeds of 236.5Mbps, around six times faster than 4G. The country’s 5G experience is supported by mid-band spectrum, including 3.5GHz and 2.6GHz, which helps provide the capacity needed for high-demand areas.
“The UAE is also moving early on the next phase of spectrum efficiency, with 5G-Advanced already launched and new spectrum layers being opened for future growth.”
TDRA has allocated the 600MHz and upper 6GHz bands for IMT, creating a stronger foundation for both wider coverage and higher-capacity 5G services. The 600MHz band can help improve coverage and indoor reach, while upper 6GHz can add high-capacity support in dense urban areas where demand is highest.
For enterprise users, this expanded spectrum foundation directly raises the floor on network reliability — the kind of consistent performance that matters for cloud-dependent workloads, AI applications and connected infrastructure.
The next benchmark is lifecycle management
The GCC’s spectrum challenge is no longer just about launching 5G or opening new frequency bands. It is about managing how every generation, from 2G to 5G, contributes to better connectivity.
The markets that lead the next phase will be those that reduce legacy dependence, refarm spectrum effectively, keep 4G strong, scale 5G capacity and prepare for 5G-Advanced and 6G. The new spectrum will help, but it will not be enough on its own. The real advantage will come from extracting more value from every MHz already in use.
For the GCC, spectrum efficiency is becoming a measure of digital readiness. It shows whether markets can move from early 5G adoption to mature, reliable and future-ready connectivity.
This opinion piece is authored by Mohamed Abbas, Principal Analyst, Opensignal.