GSA View on Global Spectrum for 5G

© 2018 Global mobile Suppliers Association
GSA VIEW ON GLOBAL SPECTRUM FOR 5G
Global mobile Suppliers Association
1

GSA POSITION ON GLOBAL SPECTRUM AVAILABILITY FOR 5G
Governments should make spectrum available for 5G NR within the low-band, mid-band and high-
band frequency ranges, with the appropriate amount of contiguous spectrum per network, as well
as provide regulatory conditions that facilitate cost-effective 5G NR usage in a timely manner.
Making spectrum ranges available by 2020 and appropriate regulatory conditions will facilitate the
vision of IMT connecting almost all 7 billion people globally, in addition to the 100 billion of devices
and things, by 2025.

GSA POSITION ON LOW BANDS FOR 5G
 GSA supports and promotes utilization of low-band spectrum for 5G NR, especially for applications
requiring extended range coverage, including certain Internet of things (IoT) applications enhanced
Mobile BroadBand (eMBB) coverage, as well as enabling services to deep indoor locations, rural
and sparsely populated areas.
 As such, GSA supports making available additional spectrum in ranges below 2 GHz, including the
frequencies below 694/698 MHz, subject to local circumstances.
 Furthermore, GSA encourages governments to review and revise, as necessary, the current
regulatory conditions for the bands below 2 GHz bands, in an expeditious manner, to ensure that
operators have the flexibility to transition to 5G NR. This review should also consider Active Antenna
Systems (AAS), relevant for both LTE and 5G NR.

GSA POSITION ON MID BANDS FOR 5G
 GSA supports and promotes utilization of mid-band spectrum within 3300 MHz to 4200 MHz and
within 4400 MHz to 5 GHz frequency ranges for 5G NR, especially for applications which need
both capacity and coverage, such as eMBB, and URLLC.
 GSA supports making additional spectrum available in these mid-bands, specifically spectrum that
can accommodate at least 100 MHz of contiguous bandwidth per network. Furthermore, the
3700/3800 MHz to 4200 MHz frequency range offers the potential for additional spectrum to be
made available for 5G NR.
 GSA encourages governments to expeditiously review and revise as needed the current
regulatory conditions for 2.3 GHz, 2.5/2.6 GHz and 3300 MHz to 3800 MHz band to enable 5G
NR usage of these bands.
 Existing fragmented spectrum authorisations, in frequency and timing of licences, should be
revised to facilitate large contiguous blocks of spectrum as required for early 5G NR deployments.

GSA POSITION ON HIGH BANDS FOR 5G
 GSA strongly supports and promotes utilization of high-band spectrum in the 26/28 GHz and 40 GHz
frequency ranges, especially for 5G NR applications including eMBB and URLLC, (e.g. hotspots,
Fixed Wireless Access systems, etc.).
 GSA’s view is that in order to provide full 5G NR capabilities, a minimum of 1 GHz of contiguous
bandwidth per network is needed in each of the 26/28 and 40 GHz frequency ranges from the high-
band spectrum.

KEY SPECTRUM BANDS FOR 5G AND ECO SYSTEM
AVAILABILITY
 5G NR equipment which supports the 28 GHz and 3.4-3.8 GHz bands is available in 2018. Equipment
that is fully 3GPP standards compliant will be available in 2019 for these frequency bands.
 Based on government announcements and market demand, equipment which supports other key 5G
bands will be available in a timely manner.
The following spectrum bands will be key frequency ranges for early 5G NR deployments
globally (noting that countries/regions may make different parts of these bands available):
 3300 MHz – 4200 MHz
 4400 MHz – 5 GHz
 24.25 GHz – 27.5 GHz
 26.5 GHz – 29.5 GHz
 37.0 GHz – 43.5 GHz

GSA POSITION ON ITU WRC-19
 GSA supports the identification of new spectrum globally for IMT (5G NR) under WRC-19 agenda
item 1.13.
 GSA strongly supports and promotes with highest priority the 24.25 – 27.5 GHz and 37.0 – 43.5
GHz frequency ranges for an identification for IMT at WRC-19 agenda item 1.13
 GSA does not support the 31.8 – 33.4 GHz frequency range for an identification for IMT.
 GSA supports consideration at WRC-19 of an identification for IMT in the ranges 45.5-50.2 GHz
and 50.4-52.6 GHz. The range 47.2-48.2 GHz is already allocated to 5G NR in the USA which is
anticipated to stimulate market demand in other countries and regions. We recognise that there
may be challenges due to the passive services on both sides of 50.4-52.6 GHz and its limited size.
 GSA views 66 - 71 GHz, 71 – 76 GHz and 81 – 86 GHz as important bands for 5G. GSA views on
IMT identification of these bands is under development.

GSA POSITION ON ITU WRC-19
 GSA is of the view that the fixed and mobile services must be protected if WRC-19 takes any
action(s) to enable ESIMs and HAPS under agenda items 1.5 and 1.14 respectively.
 The current draft CPM text for agenda items 1.5 and 1.14 do not adequately protect the fixed and
mobile service. Therefore, adequate protection measures (e.g. appropriate PFD mask, altitude limits,
separation distances) need to be included in any regulatory action at WRC-19 under these agenda
items. The mobile service must in particular be protected from HAPS CPEs and Land ESIMs.

LICENSING IN THE 3400-4200 MHZ
AND MMWAVE BANDS IN EUROPE
9

10
 Mobile network operators have over thirty years of experience in deploying national
communication infrastructures. They are well placed to invest in 5G and establish a firm
foundation for an ecosystem of next generation radio communications in Europe.
 MNO investment in 5G is not only motivated by faster MBB;
it is motivated by the digital transformation opportunity for vertical industries.
 MNOs, vendors, and verticals are increasingly getting together
to establish a common understanding of requirements and technologies.
 Network slicing developed by 3GPP is a key enabler in this respect.
Network slicing allows verticals to avoid CAPEX and OPEX of dedicated
infrastructures and devices, by creating a “network factory” where an MNO
can assign – via software – different slices of its core and radio network
resources to diverse verticals.
MOBILE OPERATORS WILL KICK START 5G ECOSYSTEM

11
 Collaboration between MNOs, vendors, and verticals promises emergence of
innovative business models, including:
 Wholesale provision of 5G capacity by MNOs to new players (e.g. MVNOs)
with focus on E2E services and solutions for verticals.
 Provision of indoor coverage by neutral hosts in market-led collaboration
with MNOs, using MNOs’ licensed spectrum for enterprise solutions.
 Leasing of spectrum by verticals from MNOs, in circumstances where
verticals might require direct access to licensed 5G bands;
e.g., to deploy private 5G networks.
 Where needed, administrations can regulate wholesale 5G capacity
provision or spectrum leasing (e.g., via use-it-or-lease-it obligations) to ensure
verticals’ expectations are met while maintaining incentives for MNOs to invest in 5G.
SLICING & LEASING: ENABLERS OF NEW BUSINESS MODELS

12
 3400-3800 MHz is Europe’s primary 5G band below 6 GHz. We consider that
the above business models would result in a more optimal use of spectrum
than by dedicating parts of 3400-3800 MHz to verticals use cases.
 For this reason, we encourage individual national licensing of 3400-3800 MHz,
enabled through appropriate regulatory management of existing users.
 This would give MNOs freedom to collaborate with other parties wherever there
is demand for 5G, for all foreseen use cases, free from of harmful interference.
This would bring certainty for MNO investment in 5G infrastructure/equipment.
 Investment by MNOs in infrastructure at 3400-3800 MHz is essential, not only
for eMBB, but also for provision of 5G services to verticals, which can gain
access to 5G capacity through network slicing and benefit from economies
of scale in public 5G network infrastructure and equipment.
3400-3800 MHZ: EUROPE’S PRIMARY 5G BAND

13
 We consider incentivised market-based local spectrum leasing to be a preferred approach for
verticals who wish to deploy private 5G networks, resulting in more optimal use of spectrum.
 But, we acknowledge that some verticals – such as Industry 4.0 – may wish to have
direct access to spectrum for private 5G networks, but without having to rely on
leasing of spectrum from the MNOs.
 We believe that there are opportunities to identify bands in Europe
outside 3400–3800 MHz that are suitable for private 5G networks
for use cases such as Industry 4.0 or indoor neutral hosts, and
which can still benefit from a global ecosystem of
5G radio equipment.
DIRECT ACCESS TO SPECTRUM BY VERTICALS?

14
BANDS BELOW 6 GHZ
EU
CHN
JPN
KOR
US
Band 78
Band 77 Band 79
Available/official plans
Under consideration
Future potential
3.3 3.4 3.6 3.8 4.2 4.8 5.03800 - 4200
(where an early 5G equipment ecosystem will exist)

15
 Existing users are Fixed Satellite Service downlink and Fixed Service.
Their locations are known and their numbers are manageable; i.e., they can be
readily protected via regulatory measures1 and local licensing of 5G networks.
Indoor deployments would easily coexist with these existing users.
 IF existing users cannot be transitioned out of this band in a reasonable
timeframe (say within five years) then there is an opportunity for
geographic based sharing with 5G.
 3800-4200 MHz can benefit from economies of scale in 5G equipment due to
considerations for 5G in other regions. Notably FCC proceedings for the availability
of the band for 5G in the US are expected soon. Ofcom is also considering this band
for mobile use.
 There is a good potential for a portion of 3800-4200 MHz to provide dedicated spectrum
for local area (private and public) 5G networks in Europe.
1 See, for example, ECC Report 254 (Nov 2016) “Operational guidelines for spectrum sharing to support the implementation of the
current ECC framework in the 3600-3800 MHz range”. Similar approaches can be applied to 3800-4200 MHz.
3800-4200 MHZ: SUITABLE FOR LOCAL AREA LICENCES
IN EUROPE

16
3800-4200 MHZ: OFCOM STATEMENT OF 25 MAY 2018

THE LARGE BANDWIDTH OPPORTUNITY
17
 The next frontier of mobile broadband for extreme throughput and capacity.
6 GHz 100 GHz24 GHz
BW
100s of Megahertz
(e.g. 3.4-3.8 GHz)
BW
Gigahertz
(e.g. 24.25-27.5 GHz, 26.5-29.5 GHz)

EXPECTED 5G USE CASES IN THE 26 GHZ BAND
18
 Delivery of UHD video will require throughputs in the order of 30-40 Mbit/s (4K),
80-100 Mbit/s (8K), with latency of around 20 ms (end-to-end).
 AR/VR will lead to throughput requirements in the order of 50 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s
and 10 ms latency (end-to-end)
 In addition to the eMBB use case, 26 GHz and 28 GHz are the best available frequencies
above 6 GHz to support the development of FWA services and for FWA ‘fibre-like’
quadruple-play.
Remote mobile health care
 Use of video conferencing, telepresence, 3D hologram video facilities for
remote consultations and visits requiring live video feed (4K, 8K, 3D)
in both uplink and downlink for remote healthcare
(consultation, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring).
 Health sensors to remotely monitor progress of treatment in real time.
 26 GHz 5G hot-spots could be deployed in key areas of a hospital.

19
 National governments and regulators should start licensing 26 GHz as early as in 2018,
meeting this commercial deadline and providing sufficient time for trials, for commercial
arrangements, and getting the technology working in a real world environment.
 Countries in Europe should do their utmost to make the whole 26 GHz band available
for 5G use before ITU WRC-19.
 In countries where the lower part (24.25 – 26.5 GHz) of the 26 GHz band has little use,
the whole band (24.25 – 27.5 GHz) should be made available.
 In countries where the lower part (24.25 – 26.5 GHz) of the 26 GHz band is heavily used, the
upper part 26.5 to 27.5 GHz as a minimum should be licensed in a first phase in 2018 for 5G.
 Benefits from other anticipated commercial deployments in the US, Japan and Korea
global economies of scale
 Regulators should commence planning for national clearance measures/re-farming already
in 2018 to ensure that the essential regulatory conditions for 5G use are in place.
RECOMMENDATIONS ON DEPLOYMENTS FOR 26 GHZ

RECOMMENDATIONS ON LICENSING FOR 26 GHZ
20
 The GSA understands that governments and regulators have a desire to enable
the opportunity for new users to enter as 5G license holders,
possibly at a more local level.
 While the GSA supports this desire, this should not be at the expense of MNOs
who can reuse the current infrastructure design in support of the timely introduction
of the first phase, and drive the early introduction of a viable eco-system.
 Licensing of 5G in the 26 GHz range to be complemented (but not necessarily
linked) with licensing and deployments in other parts of the spectrum designated
for 5G (700 MHz and 3.4 – 3.8 GHz).

21
 The GSA invites national regulators to establish straightforward licensing processes.
Complex sharing arrangements and authorisation regimes should be avoided where
simpler solutions are possible.
 MNOs should be able to acquire nationwide exclusive licenses in the 26 GHz band
for 5G services building on the current infrastructure.
This would also allow for crucial indoor high capacity deployments.

22
 Where the lower part (24.25 – 26.5 GHz) of the 26 GHz band is heavily used, licences
should be issued at least in the upper 1 GHz (26.5 – 27.5 GHz) as early as 2018.
For that upper 1 GHz, recommended bandwidth is at least 400 – 500 MHz per network.
 Licences should allow leasing. In addition, use-it-or-lease-it clauses attached to
licensing conditions could be considered by regulators.
 These regulatory tools coupled with network slicing and other similar solutions can
enable efficient spectrum utilization for MNOs, other service providers and verticals.
 Another approach could be to reserve a specific sub-band for geographic/local
licences. Such authorisation would suit the requirements of verticals who wish to use
the spectrum only in restricted geographic locations (ranging in size from regions to
individual premises).

SUMMARY
23
 The importance of MNOs’ investments in kick-starting 5G deployment in Europe cannot be
overstated. Enabling the opportunity for new users to enter as 5G license holders, possibly at a
more local level should not be at the expense of MNOs who can reuse the current infrastructure
and drive the early introduction of a viable eco-system.
 Slicing is a key technology, enabling MNOs and verticals to develop innovative business models;
including via wholesale provision of 5G capacity by MNOs’ public networks. We consider these
to result in more optimal spectrum use, than through spectrum that is dedicated to verticals.
For this reason, we strongly support individual national licensing of 3400-3800 MHz.
 For the 3400-3800 MHz band, where verticals or other parties may require access to spectrum
for private 5G networks, they can lease spectrum from MNOs, possibly incentivised through
use-it-or-lease it obligations.
 In cases where verticals or other parties do not wish to rely on spectrum leasing, we consider that
portions of the 3800-4200 MHz band – which benefit from international economies of scale in 5G
equipment – can be considered in Europe for local licensing and use cases such as Industry 4.0.

SUMMARY
24
 MNOs should be able to acquire nationwide exclusive licenses in the 26 GHz band for 5G
services building on the current infrastructure − this would also allow for crucial indoor high
capacity deployments.
 Licenses in the 26 GHz band should allow leasing for use by other parties and verticals,
where there is demand. In addition, use-it-or-lease-it clauses attached to licensing conditions
could be considered by regulators
 Another approach could be to reserve a specific sub-band at 26 GHz for geographic/local
licences to suit the requirements of verticals wishing to use the spectrum only in restricted
geographic locations (ranging in size from regions to individual premises).

25
Promoting the 3GPP Family of Technologies
https://gsacom.com

GSA View on Global Spectrum for 5G

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from techUK

More from techUK (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

GSA View on Global Spectrum for 5G