Abu Dhabi: The Board of Directors of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has renewed the public telecommunications licences of Emirates Telecommunications Group (e&) and Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) for a further 20 years.The renewed licences will take effect from 9th August 2026 until 8th August 2046, replacing the licences originally issued in 2006.TDRA said the renewal provides a long-term regulatory framework that supports continued investment in digital infrastructure and future technologies, while offering stability for the telecommunications sector.Over the past two decades, the sector has evolved from providing traditional telecommunications services into a key enabler of digital transformation, smart cities and government services.According to the latest international indicators, the UAE ranked first globally in fibre-to-the-home penetration for the tenth consecutive year, reaching 99.7%.Supporting the digital economyTalal Belhoul, Chairman of TDRA, said telecommunications networks now underpin all major sectors of the economy, including government services, healthcare, education, transport, energy, finance and digital commerce.He noted that the next phase of development aligns with the UAE's Digital Economy Strategy, which aims to increase the digital economy's contribution to GDP from 9.7% in 2022 to 19.4% over the next decade.Belhoul added that the sector is expected to gradually transition from connected networks to intelligent and autonomous networks, with artificial intelligence becoming an integral part of network operations.Building future-ready infrastructureEng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director-General of TDRA, described the licence renewal as a strategic decision reflecting confidence in a sector that has become a pillar of national development.He said the new framework will support a phase in which connectivity evolves into intelligence and digital infrastructure becomes a platform for innovation and sustainable growth.Stronger resilience requirementsEng. Mohammed Al Ramsi, Deputy Director-General of the Telecommunications Sector at TDRA, said the new licences recognise telecommunications networks as critical national infrastructure.The licences require operators to:Diversify international connectivity through multiple terrestrial and submarine cable systemsEliminate single points of failureImplement and regularly test disaster recovery mechanismsDevelop qualified national talent capable of operating and restoring networks during emergenciesThe licences also include enhanced obligations relating to:Network resilience and backup capacityInternational connectivityQuality of serviceInterconnection and accessNational roamingUniversal serviceSubscriber protectionPrevention of anti-competitive practicesTDRA said it will continue monitoring compliance with licence conditions, protecting subscriber rights and ensuring a fair and competitive telecommunications environment.The authority added that the next 20 years are expected to see the UAE move from leadership in connectivity to leadership in artificial intelligence, building on its position as one of the world's leading digital infrastructure hubs.
