The document discusses spectrum allocation for mobile broadband in Africa. It makes the following key points: 1) Mobile networks are more suitable than fixed networks for providing broadband connectivity across Africa due to lower deployment costs and wider coverage. However, mobile networks require a combination of low and high frequency spectrum bands for coverage and capacity. 2) The GSMA advocates making additional spectrum allocations at the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015 to meet the long-term increase in mobile data demand. It identifies four spectrum bands that would be suitable and benefit from global harmonization. 3) Efficient use of existing spectrum allocations through technology and service neutral licensing could help increase mobile broadband deployment in the near term while

1. 11 APRIL 2013
© GSMA 2015
Spectrum for Mobile Broadband
Accelerating Mobile Broadband Connectivity in Africa
Innovation Africa Digital Summit 2015
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
14–16 April 2015
Mortimer Hope, Director Africa
mhope@gsma.com

2. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
AGENDA
Licensing & Use of existing spectrum allocations
Importance of spectrum for Mobile Broadband
Identification of additional spectrum bands

3. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
THE IMPORTANCE OF MOBILE IN AFRICA
 Poor fixed infrastructure in most African countries:
 Limited to major urban centres
 Very low (and declining) penetration
 Slow rollout and very high capital cost per user
 Mobile networks:
 Faster deployment
 Lower capital cost per user (relative to fixed)
 Wider coverage area
 High (and increasing) penetration
 Mobile networks need a combination of –
 Low frequencies for coverage; and
 High frequencies for capacity

4. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF MOBIILE

5. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE SUB 1 GHz BANDS
THE BENEFITS OF SUB – 1 GHz SPECTRUM ARE CRUCIAL FOR HIGH
QUALITY, COST EFFECTIVE MOBILE BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT
Ideal for economically deploying mobile broadband
over large areas - especially in rural areas
Improved saturation in urban areas and better in-
building penetration improves quality of service
The digital dividend means more sub-1GHz
spectrum is being made available for mobile
broadband services around the world
<700MHz
700MHz
800MHz
2100MHz
Cell radius
5800MHz

6. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
AGENDA
Licensing & Use of existing spectrum allocations
Importance of spectrum for Mobile Broadband
Identification of additional spectrum bands

7. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
EFFICIENT USE OF EXISTING ALLOCATIONS
 Some existing frequency allocations not yet licensed to mobile or licensed
under restrictive conditions e.g. 900 MHz band licensed for GSM (2G) only
 Remove all technology restrictions – technology neutrality
 No requirement to obtain authorization for refarming spectrum
 Operator can determine pace of technology adoption
 Publish a Roadmap showing expected timeframes for licensing existing
mobile allocations:
 Digital Dividend (700/800 MHz bands)
 Higher frequency bands (2.6/3.5 GHz bands)
 Combine coverage and capacity bands in same licence process

8. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
THE DIGITAL SWITCHOVER
 Higher-quality and more efficient digital broadcasting
 More widespread and affordable broadband access
 Major socio-economic benefits:
 Better information access and connectivity for businesses and the public
 New mobile-based business opportunities
 Mobile access to healthcare, education, agricultural information
DSO WILL BE TRANSFORMATIONAL TO SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA’S
DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT. IT IS A ONE-TIME OPPORTUNITY FOR:

9. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
RELEASE OF DIGITAL DIVIDEND WILL..
Source: GSMA: “The Mobile
Economy in Sub-Saharan
Africa 2013”

10. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
SPECTRUM HARMONISATION MATTERS
ROAMING
harmonised
bands
SCALE
billions of
subscribers
AFFORDABILITY
economies
of scale
CHOICE
competition
MOBILE
SPECTRUM
Brings down the cost of mobile
devices
Enables people to roam
Reduces interference issues
along borders

11. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
700/800 MHz CHANNEL PLAN OPPORTUNITY
791 832 862 MHz790 821
REGION 1: 800 MHz Channel Plan
3GPP Band 20
703 748 758 803 MHz
694/698
APT 700 MHz Channel Plan
3GPP Band 28
Upper APT duplexer
Lower APT duplexer
THE APT 700 MHz CHANNEL PLAN BEING ADOPTED IN ASIA-PACIFIC & LATIN
AMERICA OVERLAPS WITH THE 800 MHz CHANNEL PLAN IN ITU REGION 1
703MHz 733 788MHz758
718MHz 773748 803MHz
HOWEVER THE LOWER APT DUPLEXER DOES NOT OVERLAP

12. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
AGENDA
Licensing & Use of existing spectrum allocations
Importance of spectrum for Mobile Broadband
Identification of additional spectrum bands

13. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
NEED TO MEET LONG-TERM DATA DEMAND
 The ITU predicts that on average a total of 1340–1960MHz will be required for
mobile services worldwide by 2020
– This accounts for the use of other capacity enhancing methods
– It also includes existing mobile bands (on average 1000MHz is allocated to mobile today)
 Allocations at WRC-15 mostly won’t be licensed until 2020-2025 when data
demand will be much higher
– The ITU assumes a 44-80x increase in mobile data between 2010 and 2020
– By comparison global mobile data rose 45x from 2008-2013
 Governments won’t license spectrum allocated at WRC-15 until they are ready
– Existing services can continue & be protected through regulatory conditions
– BUT if new bands aren’t allocated then admins will struggle to react to rising data demand
 Governments not planning to use WRC-15 bands in near-term will still benefit
from lower cost equipment for their later roll-outs
– Early movers generate economies of scale so countries that deploy later benefit from more
affordable smartphones and base stations etc..
– Economies of scale only generated through harmonized allocations

14. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
GSMA TARGET BANDS at WRC-15
Target Band Benefit for mobile Existing Usage How to accommodate mobile
Sub-700 MHz
(470-694/8MHz)
- Extremely important for
bringing high speed mobile
broadband everywhere
- Mostly broadcast - Broadcasters can use more
spectrum-efficient technologies
- IPTV, satellite, cable & LTE
broadcast will complement
L-band
(1350-1518MHz)
- Good general purpose
band for coverage and
capacity
- Comms for aircraft control
systems (i.e.. telemetry)
- Military and civilian radar
- Fixed links (e.g. for business)
- Satellite phones
- Earth observation satellites
- 1452-1492MHz portion largely
unused globally
- Radar & aeronautical mobile
telemetry services could
potentially use spectrum more
efficiently
2.7-2.9GHz - Excellent capacity band
- Could use existing
2.6GHz base stations
- Air traffic control
- Military radar
- Band is mostly under-used so
could support mobile in a portion.
Big exclusion zones not needed
C-band
(3.4-4.2GHz)
- Excellent capacity band
- Supports fastest services
- Only suitable for urban
areas or small cells
- Fixed Satellite Services (e.g.
satellite TV and broadband)
- Satellite providers can use
smaller portion – they use other
bands in tropics w/ new tech
Big exclusion zones not needed

15. SPECTRUM FOR MOBILE
© GSMA 2015
NEW BANDS FOR MOBILE
RADIO SPECTRUM: IDENTIFIED MOBILE BANDS
1.8GHz
2.1GHz
2.6GHz
450–470MHz
DigitalDividend
(700/800MHz)
900MHz
2.3GHz
3.4–3.6GHz
470-
694/8
MHz
3.4–3.8
GHz
TARGET BANDS
FOR WRC-15
2.7–2.9
GHz
1350-
1518
MHz
3.8–4.2
GHz
 GSMA had agreed widespread mobile
operator support for 4 new mobile
allocations
– Sub-700MHz UHF (470-694/8MHz)
– 2.7-2.9GHz
– L-Band (1350-1518MHz)
– C-Band (3.4-4.2GHz)
 These provide coverage & capacity
 These bands must be harmonised
globally to drive lower cost
equipment/services
– Pursuing other bands risks creating a
fragmented market

16. 11 APRIL 2013
© GSMA 2015
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