A clearer picture of mobile spectrum ownership in the Maldives is now available. A country-level frequency allocation overview published on 10 November 2026 brings together spectrum information for the two principal mobile network operators, Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives, showing which frequency ranges are recorded for each company across six mobile bands.
The newly published Maldives inventory contains 19 spectrum register records, including 12 operator-assigned blocks. Its coverage extends from the 700 MHz and 900 MHz coverage bands through 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz, up to the 3.5 GHz range associated with high-capacity 5G. Separate operator pages make it possible to examine Dhiraagu and Ooredoo without losing the context of the complete national frequency arrangement.
For telecom analysts, the most useful information is not simply the presence of a band. The exact uplink and downlink boundaries reveal the size and position of paired FDD holdings, while the 3.5 GHz view shows two adjacent, contiguous 200 MHz TDD allocations. The result is a more detailed basis for comparing the licensed frequency portfolios of the country's two mobile operators.
Maldives Spectrum Data: November 2026 Overview
| Dataset measure | Published scope |
|---|---|
| Latest published update | 10 November 2026 |
| Spectrum register records | 19 |
| Operator-assigned blocks | 12: five for Dhiraagu and seven for Ooredoo Maldives |
| Spectrum bands represented | 700, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600 and 3500 MHz |
| Named operators | Dhiraagu; Ooredoo Maldives |
| Geographic scope shown | Nationwide licensing areas |
Exact Frequency Assignments by Operator
The following table summarises the 12 operator blocks included in the published frequency allocation overview. For FDD bands, the lower-frequency range is the uplink and the higher-frequency range is the downlink. The 3500 MHz entries are TDD assignments, so the same unpaired frequency range is used for the two transmission directions at different times.
| Band | Operator | Assigned frequencies (MHz) | Assigned bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 700 MHz (B12) | Ooredoo Maldives | 702.5–712.5 UL / 732.5–742.5 DL | 2 × 10 MHz |
| 900 MHz (B8) | Dhiraagu | 885.1–890.1 UL / 930.1–935.1 DL | 2 × 5 MHz |
| 900 MHz (B8) | Ooredoo Maldives | 880.1–885.1 UL / 925.1–930.1 DL | 2 × 5 MHz |
| 900 MHz (B8) | Ooredoo Maldives | 902.5–912.5 UL / 947.5–957.5 DL | 2 × 10 MHz |
| 1800 MHz (B3) | Dhiraagu | 1710–1750 UL / 1805–1845 DL | 2 × 40 MHz |
| 1800 MHz (B3) | Ooredoo Maldives | 1750–1785 UL / 1845–1880 DL | 2 × 35 MHz |
| 2100 MHz (B1) | Dhiraagu | 1965–1980 UL / 2155–2170 DL | 2 × 15 MHz |
| 2100 MHz (B1) | Ooredoo Maldives | 1920–1950 UL / 2110–2140 DL | 2 × 30 MHz |
| 2600 MHz (B7) | Dhiraagu | 2550–2570 UL / 2670–2690 DL | 2 × 20 MHz |
| 2600 MHz (B7) | Ooredoo Maldives | 2500–2520 UL / 2620–2640 DL | 2 × 20 MHz |
| 3500 MHz (n78) | Ooredoo Maldives | 3400–3600 TDD | 200 MHz |
| 3500 MHz (n78) | Dhiraagu | 3600–3800 TDD | 200 MHz |
Dhiraagu: Five Blocks Across Coverage and Capacity Bands
Dhiraagu's recorded portfolio covers five of the six frequency groups. Its lowest-frequency block in this inventory is 2 × 5 MHz at 900 MHz, with uplink at 885.1–890.1 MHz and downlink at 930.1–935.1 MHz. No 700 MHz block is shown under Dhiraagu in the published six-band view.
The company's largest paired allocation is at 1800 MHz: 1710–1750 MHz paired with 1805–1845 MHz, equivalent to 2 × 40 MHz. Dhiraagu also has 2 × 15 MHz at 2100 MHz and 2 × 20 MHz at 2600 MHz. Together, these paired assignments span 80 MHz in each FDD direction, or 160 MHz when both uplink and downlink are counted.
At 3.5 GHz, Dhiraagu is shown with a contiguous 200 MHz TDD allocation from 3600 MHz to 3800 MHz. This adds a substantial high-capacity frequency resource to its lower-band and traditional mobile broadband holdings. Counting both sides of its FDD assignments and counting TDD spectrum once, the five displayed blocks amount to 360 MHz of assigned frequency bandwidth.
The complete operator-specific frequency view is available on the Dhiraagu Maldives spectrum allocation page.
Ooredoo Maldives: Seven Blocks Across All Six Bands
Ooredoo Maldives appears in all six frequency groups and has seven operator blocks in the published view. The operator holds the only displayed 700 MHz assignment: 702.5–712.5 MHz paired with 732.5–742.5 MHz, giving it 2 × 10 MHz in the B12 arrangement.
Its 900 MHz spectrum is split into two distinct positions. One 2 × 5 MHz block occupies 880.1–885.1 / 925.1–930.1 MHz, while a separate 2 × 10 MHz block occupies 902.5–912.5 / 947.5–957.5 MHz. The combined 900 MHz holding is therefore 2 × 15 MHz, but it is not a single contiguous 15 MHz channel in either FDD direction.
In the higher paired bands, Ooredoo holds 2 × 35 MHz at 1800 MHz, 2 × 30 MHz at 2100 MHz and 2 × 20 MHz at 2600 MHz. Its 3.5 GHz assignment occupies 3400–3600 MHz, forming a separate 200 MHz TDD block immediately below Dhiraagu's allocation.
When the frequency components are counted consistently, Ooredoo's six FDD blocks contribute 220 MHz across uplink and downlink, with another 200 MHz in the TDD band. That produces 420 MHz across the seven operator blocks displayed. These are counts of the mapped frequency assignments, not verified measures of spectrum actively deployed at every site.
See the Ooredoo Maldives spectrum allocation page for the operator-specific arrangement.
How the Two Spectrum Portfolios Compare
The most visible contrast is Ooredoo's 700 MHz presence and its larger recorded paired holdings at 900 MHz and 2100 MHz. Dhiraagu, meanwhile, has the wider of the two 1800 MHz allocations. Both operators hold the same amount of paired 2600 MHz spectrum, and both have 200 MHz in the 3.5 GHz TDD band.
| Frequency band | Dhiraagu | Ooredoo Maldives |
|---|---|---|
| 700 MHz FDD | Not shown | 2 × 10 MHz |
| 900 MHz FDD | 2 × 5 MHz | 2 × 15 MHz in separate blocks |
| 1800 MHz FDD | 2 × 40 MHz | 2 × 35 MHz |
| 2100 MHz FDD | 2 × 15 MHz | 2 × 30 MHz |
| 2600 MHz FDD | 2 × 20 MHz | 2 × 20 MHz |
| 3500 MHz TDD | 200 MHz | 200 MHz |
| Total mapped bandwidth* | 360 MHz | 420 MHz |
*Counting convention: FDD totals include both the uplink and downlink halves; TDD frequencies are counted once. Totals refer only to the six bands and assignments presented in this published inventory. They should not be read as an independently verified account of every spectrum right held by either operator across all possible radio services.
The 3.5 GHz Band: Two Adjacent 200 MHz Assignments
One particularly clear result is the distribution of the entire displayed 3400–3800 MHz range. Ooredoo occupies the lower 200 MHz segment at 3400–3600 MHz, and Dhiraagu occupies the upper 200 MHz segment at 3600–3800 MHz. There is no intervening frequency gap between the two recorded assignments.
This arrangement is relevant to 5G network planning because n78 is a principal international 5G mid-band range. Wide contiguous holdings provide flexibility to configure capacity-oriented radio systems, subject to equipment support, carrier bandwidth limits, coexistence requirements and the operator's actual deployment design.
A 200 MHz licence holding should not be mistaken for a single 200 MHz 5G NR carrier or for proof of a particular download speed. Operators may need more than one carrier to use that amount of spectrum. The frequency record establishes the assigned range; it does not establish the number of live carriers, cell sites or users.
Why Frequency Distribution Matters in an Island Nation
The geography of the Maldives gives spectrum planning a distinctive character. The country consists of roughly 1,190 islands organised into 26 natural atolls. Providing mobile connectivity across dispersed inhabited islands, tourism destinations and transport corridors requires careful coordination of radio coverage, capacity, site infrastructure and backhaul.
Lower bands such as 700 MHz and 900 MHz are valuable for their propagation and building-penetration characteristics. The 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands provide established mobile broadband resources, while 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz can serve as important capacity layers where more traffic is concentrated. The optimal combination depends on local geography, site placement and demand.
The nationwide designation of an assignment describes its regulatory geographic scope; it does not mean that a signal is available at every island, resort or offshore location. Dhiraagu and Ooredoo both advertise commercial 5G services, but actual service coverage must be checked using the operators' own network information rather than inferred from the spectrum register alone.
Regulatory Context and Further Analysis
Radio spectrum management in the Maldives falls under the Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM), whose functions include the administration of spectrum assignments and frequency band plans. The newly published allocation views organise the recorded operator holdings into an accessible band-by-band format, while preserving the distinctions between operator labels, assigned frequencies and frequency segments not attributed to either operator in the displayed overview.
Summary: Maldives Mobile Spectrum Allocation as of 10 November 2026
The Maldives spectrum overview published on 10 November 2026 contains 19 register records across six bands, including 12 operator allocations attributed to Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives. Dhiraagu has five recorded operator blocks spanning five bands; Ooredoo has seven blocks spanning all six bands.
The two companies share the 3.5 GHz range through adjacent, contiguous 200 MHz assignments: Ooredoo at 3400–3600 MHz and Dhiraagu at 3600–3800 MHz. Their lower-frequency holdings differ, including the 700 MHz assignment displayed for Ooredoo and their different positions in the 900 MHz band.