Presentations from the SPF Cluster 2 & 3: Release Mechanisms & Flexible Spectrum Access workshop on 21 May 2018 More information about the UK Spectrum Policy Forum is available here. http://www.techuk.org/about/uk-spectrum-policy-forum

1. Spectrum Policy Forum
What is the problem I am trying to solve?
Making a success of 5G for the 9 million
people who live in Rural Britain with the aid of
dynamic spectrum access
Prof Stephen Temple CBE,
5G IC, University of Surrey

2. Band Area with spectrum waste*
3G at 2.1 GHz 87.5%
10 years after 3G auction
64% (Coverage 36%)
15 years after 3G auction
4G at 2.6 GHz 98%
5 years after 4G auction
5G at 3.6 GHz 5G at 3.6 GHz will be “capacity
driven” thus urban focussed
The raw ingredient for this 5G rural success is “spectrum waste” - Historic data
suggest that a large geographic waste of 5G spectrum is likely to occur at 3.6 GHz
Ofcom
Data
Industry Data
These are very large
numbers
No coverage obligation
to drive coverage down
a common path
* Spectrum waste is defined here as some unused spectrum
perishing as a result of the spectrum not being employed to
run services in that location.

3. What is rural…expressed
in mobile coverage terms?
…and why current spectrum policy leads
to mobile spectrum waste in rural areas
DEFRA Data
56.4m
86%
Using the 3.4-3.6 GHz
band as an example

4. Turning “geographic” spectrum waste into a 5G success story:

5. Which is the best band to begin to win the benefits of dynamic spectrum access
for the 9m British people living in rural areas?
Non-starters: 3.8-4.2 GHz band : too far away 26 GHz : too poor for coverage
3.4 GHZ 3.6 GHZ 3.8 GHZ
Exclusive: But dynamic spectrum
access could be via voluntary
spectrum pooling
Shared: Dynamic spectrum
access via over-licensing on non-
interference basis
3.4-3.6 GHz: already auctioned 3.6-3.8 GHz : ideal band
• Perfect compromise of capacity and coverage
• Soonest to arrive in all smartphones and devices
• Likely to become the most widely diffused in the installed base
• Ultra-low cost Gb/s cells will arrive in the market much faster
Combine the best of exclusive and shared access
Scope could be:
•Rural public cells
•Rural self provision
•Building owners (if
enough screening)

6. 1. An operator must have
“anchor” spectrum in the
3.6-3.8 GHz pioneer band
to qualify for dynamic
expansion rights (to always
ensure a basic service)
eg 20 MHz
2. Where operator A is
the sole operator at a
location, they can
expand their radio
channel to exploit the
full 200 MHz
200 MHz
3. When operator B
(owning some of
spectrum used by
operator A) sets-up a cell
at that location, operator
A must release the
spectrum of operator B
THREE SIMPLE RULES – Using
current powers for over-licensing non-
interfering use
Dynamic Spectrum Expansion for
the 3.6-3.8 GHz band
Source: Prof Temple
(How it is to be implemented is a detail for later)

7. Where the UK
is currently
trending
A view from space of a 5G small cell network* 10 years from now
*ASSUMPTION for the
illustrations: the same
demographics that drive street
lighting deployment will drive
5G small cell deployment
We have to seize opportunity now to turn a “geographic” waste of spectrum…into a 5G success story
National benefits of
Dynamic Spectrum
Access
Where the UK
should be
trending

8. Summary:
 Only spectrum about to perish is used
 Simple, low cost and flexible
 Can be implemented quickly
 Gets 100% of spectrum into local use in every locality
 Unlocks the power of the 5G technology to deliver Gb/s data rates by giving it the bandwidth
 Offers a fairer deal to those 9m citizens living and working in rural areas of the UK
 MNO winning spectrum in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band enjoy the same practical advantages as for
exclusive spectrum in 3.2-3.4 GHz but at a lower price/MHz
…and nobody is losing out from it
The question is not, why…but why not? And why not now?