Rapid growth of wireless communication systems and advent of 5G networks have led to a surge in demand for antennas that has high performance. The antenna should have capability of supporting multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology. MIMO antennas play a crucial role in enhancing data rates, high spectral efficiency and overall system capacity. The sub 6 GHz band is widely utilized for 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. In this paper, the array of 4 × 4 a microstrip patch MIMO antenna operating in the sub 6 GHz frequency band is designed and simulated. The propose antenna has gain of 18.1 dB with return loss of − 42 dB at 6 GHz. The proposed antennas also exhibits Ultra Wide Band (UWB) characteristics with useful bandwidth of 2.1 GHz. The main lobe direction of the antenna is 1° with a 3 dB angular width of 26°. This provides a focused radiation pattern that enhances directional performance. The array configuration allows for constructive interference of the radiated fields from individual elements, resulting in improved gain and directivity.