Authored by Sylwia Kechiche, Data support by Robert Wyrzykowski
5G deployments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) continue to accelerate. Yet the region is evolving unevenly. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) remains far ahead, with mature 5G networks, proactive regulators, and ambitious spectrum roadmaps. Outside the Gulf, progress is visible but more gradual, shaped by affordability, spectrum availability, and slower technology transitions.
Building on Opensignal’s previous MENA spectrum analysis, this report reflects on the region’s evolution over the past year.
Key findings
- GCC countries continue legacy network sunsets. Gulf markets are retiring 2G and 3G faster than the rest of MENA, freeing up valuable 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands for LTE and 5G. By contrast, most non-GCC markets still spend over 10% of time on 2G and 3G, reflecting slower device migration and more cautious regulatory timelines.
C-band remains foundational for 5G deployments. Markets such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE hold some of the largest contiguous C-band allocations globally. Our previous analysis shows a strong correlation between increased 3.5GHz usage and improvements in average 5G download speed.
Network modernization through refarming and sunsets
Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), operators and regulators are shutting legacy (2G and 3G) networks. This shift reflects the region’s vision to modernize telecom infrastructure, re-farm spectrum, and accelerate the transition to 4G and 5G.
Beyond the GCC, however, legacy networks still play a much bigger role in everyday connectivity.
In most non-GCC MENA markets, 2G and 3G still account for more than 10% of user time, highlighting slower device replacement cycles and more gradual technology transitions.
North African countries in particular trail the GCC by several years when it comes to legacy network sunsets. This slower pace is driven by a combination of factors:
- large prepaid user bases
- low Voice over LTE (VoLTE) adoption
- widespread use of inexpensive 2G/3G devices
- slower, more cautious regulatory roadmaps
However, as device affordability improves and regulators push more actively for refarming, these markets are expected to follow the trajectory already visible in the Gulf.
A notable exception: Türkiye
Türkiye stands apart from its regional peers. It has made significant progress in reducing reliance on legacy networks, as highlighted in our recent analysis. It has recently completed its long-awaited spectrum auction (October 2025), which allocated 400 MHz of spectrum across both the 700MHz low-band (for broad coverage) and the 3.5GHz mid-band (for capacity). Türkiye aims for a commercial 5G launch in April 2026 — operators like Turkcell are already aiming for 5G-Advanced from launch. A key policy goal is mandating the use of domestically produced equipment to boost the local tech industry.
Why do sunsets matter?
Sunsetting 2G and 3G unlocks spectrum that can immediately be repurposed for higher-efficiency technologies:
- 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, once the backbone of 2G, now form key LTE coverage and capacity layers
- 2100 MHz freed from 3G sunsets is being redeployed for LTE and NR across the Gulf, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco
This shift delivers higher throughput per MHz, lower latency and a better platform for modern mobile broadband and IoT services. It also simplifies operations – fewer legacy Radio Access Network (RAN) layers, lower energy consumption, and more secure, IP-native connectivity with VoLTE and 5G cores.
From an enterprise perspective, sunsets, however, are a double-edged sword. IoT modules, payment terminals and industrial systems that still rely on 2G/3G risk losing service if migration plans are delayed. But organisations that adopt LTE, NB-IoT and Cat-M1 gain resilience, lower operating costs and gain access to richer digital capabilities.
How are operators layering spectrum to strengthen 5G performance?
Over the past year Egypt, and Tunisia have launched commercial 5G services, expanding the region’s 5G footprint beyond the early GCC adopters. Morocco just launched 5G in November 2025. Yet, most MENA operators still run 5G on Non-Standalone (NSA) architecture, where 5G sessions depend on a 4G anchor for signaling and mobility. As a result, strong 4G coverage – supported by multi-band spectrum strategy that combines low- and mid-bands – remains central to delivering a reliable 5G user experience.
Across MENA, the 3.5 GHz band remains the workhorse of 5G in the GCC, underpinning the region’s fastest 5G speeds. In Qatar, for example, in Q3 2025 users experienced an average 5G download speed of 382.8Mbps – more than seven times faster than 4G.
Two dominant spectrum strategies are emerging:
Group 1 – near exclusive use of C-band: Tunisia, Qatar, and Kuwait
These markets primarily rely on 3.5GHz as their core 5G band, leveraging its balance between capacity and coverage to deliver strong performance without significant layering from other bands.
Group 2 – Mid-band layering on top of C-band: Jordan, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia
Here, operators are supplementing 3.5GHz with additional mid-bands – typically 2.6GHz or 2.1GHz – to add capacity and coverage in order to support denser urban deployments and improve indoor coverage. This approach helps sustain consistent speeds even under growing traffic loads, and more importantly ensure QoE.
Oman: the GCC’s low-band pioneer
Oman stands out as the only GCC country deploying 700 MHz low-band spectrum for 5G. Vodafone Oman uses: 700 MHz for extended outdoor coverage and superior indoor penetration and 2600 MHz for higher 5G capacity while still having majority of readings 81% in Q32025 on C-band.
Opensignal readings show year-on-year growth in usage across both bands, indicating a meaningful shift in the network’s spectrum profile:
- 700 MHz: increased from 2% to 7%
- 2600 MHz: increased from 7% to 12%
In Europe, we’re seeing a clear shift toward using low-band spectrum to meet regulatory coverage requirements. Mature 5G markets such as Austria, Finland, and Sweden were early adopters of the 3.5GHz band, but are now increasingly deploying additional spectrum bands to support growing 5G capacity needs and to expand rural coverage as part of their license obligations.
The 700MHz band is particularly well-suited for this role. European regulators often link rural coverage commitments to 700MHz licenses, and the band’s strong propagation characteristics make it effective not only for extending 5G reach in rural areas but also for improving indoor coverage and ensuring consistent 5G availability in urban environments.
Outlier: non-C-band deployment in Egypt
By contrast, Egypt has not yet auctioned 3.5 GHz spectrum. Instead, Egypt’s initial 5G licensing relied primarily on the refarming and reassignment of existing bands, particularly 2.6 GHz, rather than C-band spectrum release.
GCC spectrum strategy in wider policy context
These operator-level changes sit within a broader GCC policy environment that is:
- reallocating 700 MHz and other sub-GHz bands after digital TV migration
- adding 600 MHz and 6 GHz bands to national frequency plans
- preparing positions for future IMT bands (4.4–4.8 GHz, 7–8.4 GHz, 14.8–15.35 GHz) ahead of the next World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC 27) in 2027
Smart city initiatives, direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity and AI adoption are all contributing to growing spectrum demand and pushing regulators to adopt more investment-friendly, flexible frameworks.
Looking ahead: toward 5G-Advanced and beyond
The next phase of MENA’s evolution is already underway. In Kuwait, Zain and Ooredoo have launched 5G-Advanced, as did du and e& in the UAE. Zain KSA and Huawei are trialling 5G-Advanced for FWA and smart-city use cases. STC Bahrain is testing upper 6 GHz for high-capacity enterprise services. These trials align with global moves toward 3GPP Release 18, focused on ultra-low latency, edge computing and AI-driven networks.
Throughout this transition, one lesson is clear: strong 4G footprints remain essential. With NSA still dominant, 5G cannot fully replace LTE; instead, it builds on it. Robust 4G coverage not only supports 5G availability but also explains why 4G still carries the majority of traffic in most MENA markets.
For further insights and a deeper analysis of the impact of spectrum on mobile network experience, subscribe to Opensignal’s newsletter. To read more about spectrum, visit GSMA Spectrum.
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