GSMA Demands More Radio Spectrum to Fuel 5G Mobile or Else..

The GSMA, which represents around a thousand Mobile Network Operators (MNO) from across the world, has warned Government’s to ensure that the future roll-out of 5G mobile broadband technology isn’t put “at risk” by the potential of regulators to release enough affordable spectrum to support its hype.

In theory 5G should be capable of delivering multi-Gigabit ultrafast broadband wireless and mobile performance, but that will require operators to invest in the construction of an increasingly dense infrastructure. On top of that it may be difficult for operators to deliver on all of the hype unless they can fuel this new network with lots of spectrum.

However the GSMA notes that governments around the world have started to auction spectrum for 5G networks, but “variations in how much spectrum has been assigned, the onerous conditions imposed and the cost of access to that spectrum” may become a problem. As a result the “speed, reach and quality of 5G services” could, they claim, “vary dramatically” between countries.

Admittedly performance variations between countries is somewhat par-for-the-course with mobile technology. We saw a similar problem with both 3G and more recently 4G networks, although neither of those two suffered from the same extreme hype as 5G technology (most of this has until recently come from politicians, not operators).

The challenge then is to deliver on those expectations and that may not be possible with the current approach of “maximising [spectrum] auction revenues for short term gains.”

Brett Tarnutzer, GSMA Head of Spectrum, said:

“Operators urgently need more spectrum to deliver the endless array of services that 5G will enable – our 5G future depends heavily on the decisions governments are making in the next year as we head into WRC-19.

Without strong government support to allocate sufficient spectrum to next generation mobile services, it will be impossible to achieve the global scale that will make 5G affordable and accessible for everyone. There is a real opportunity for innovation from 5G, but this hinges on governments focusing on making enough spectrum available, not maximising auction revenues for short term gains.

Governments and regulators have a major role to play in ensuring that consumers get the best outcome from 5G. Once spectrum is allocated to mobile at WRC, licensing that spectrum at a national level, as history has shown, can take up to 10 years. Therefore, it is essential that governments take the right action now.”

The GSMA Intelligence report forecasts that there will be 1.3 billion 5G connections by 2025, but this will be dependent on the above challenges being resolved. In fairness operators always moan about the cost of spectrum, but the issue here is that 5G needs so much spectrum in order to deliver on what has been promised that the costs could easily mount up to the point of becoming unviable.

Five GSMA Recommendations for 5G (Governments and Regulators)

1. 5G needs wider frequency bands to support higher speeds and larger amounts of traffic. Regulators that make available 80-100 MHz of spectrum per operator in prime 5G mid-bands (e.g. 3.5 GHz) and around 1GHz per operator in vital millimeter wave bands (i.e. above 24 GHz), will best support the very fastest 5G services.

2. 5G needs spectrum within three key frequency ranges to deliver widespread coverage and support all use cases:

— Sub-1GHz spectrum to extend high-speed 5G mobile broadband coverage across urban, suburban and rural areas and to help support Internet of Things (IoT) services.

— Spectrum from 1-6 GHz to offer a good mix of coverage and capacity for 5G services.

— Spectrum above 6 GHz for 5G services such as ultra-high-speed mobile broadband.

3. It is essential that governments support the 26GHz, 40GHz (37-43.5GHz) and 66-71GHz bands for mobile at WRC-19. A sufficient amount of harmonised 5G spectrum in these bands is critical to enabling the fastest 5G speeds, low-cost devices and international roaming and to minimising cross-border interference.

4. Governments and regulators should avoid inflating 5G spectrum prices (e.g. setting high auction reserve prices) as they risk limiting network investment and driving up the cost of services.

5. Regulators should avoid setting aside spectrum for verticals in key mobile spectrum bands; sharing approaches, such as leasing, are better options where vertical industries require access to spectrum.