Mid-Band Spectrum Allocation Must Modernize for 5G Deployment

Mid-Band Spectrum Allocation Must Modernize for 5G Deployment

By The Fatty Fish Editorial Team - September 26, 2023

Experts recommend mid-band spectrum allocation must modernize for 5G deployment. Communication service providers (CSPs) must use a combination of different spectrum bands to deliver 5G services. For CSPs, 5G presents some new challenges. 5G networks support faster mobile broadband speeds and lower latencies making new applications possible, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the metaverse, and the Internet of Things (IoT). 5G will require CSPs to have access to substantial amounts of mid-band spectrum to make these new services a reality. According to the GSMA (Global System for Mobile communications Association), a global trade organization representing the worldwide mobile communications industry, 515 operators were investing in 5G worldwide at the beginning of 2023, with 243 commercial 5G launches. GSMA recommends that regulators and government agencies that control 5G spectrum allocation make 80-100 MHz of contiguous spectrum available per operator in prime 5G bands and about 1 GHz per operator available in millimeter wave bands. Recently, mid-band spectrum accounted for over 60% of the total frequencies assigned, and pressure on mid-band spectrum is increasing. Governments are looking for answers to satisfy the demand for 5G and 5G-Advanced.

Mid-band spectrum is considered perfect for 5G because it can carry plenty of data while traveling significant distances. The GSMA describes spectrum in the 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz range as ideal because many countries worldwide have already designated it for 5G. China has become the most prominent 5G market globally in the scale of deployments and consumer take-up. In addition, China has focused on the 6 GHz band and expressed strong interest in utilizing 6 GHz to satisfy the fast-rising demands for 5G.

Spectrum determines 5G speed and coverage. With the right spectrum, the 5G rollout can continue to prosper, and all parts of the world can access 5G technologies. Expanding access to mobile spectrum can deliver scale while decreasing network density. This will result in placing affordable, next-generation mobile services into the hands of the entire world. Here is an opinion piece we found of interest relating to the need to modernize spectrum allocation.

Modernizing Spectrum Allocation to Ensure U.S. Security in the Twenty-First Century

In an opinion piece “Modernizing Spectrum Allocation to Ensure U.S. Security in the Twenty-First Century” for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, James Andrew Lewis, director and Clete Johnson, senior fellow, provide specific recommendations for twenty-first century security change. Economic strength, technological leadership, and commercial vitality are fundamental to national security, particularly in the digital era, when 5G connects the cyber and physical domains as never before. China recognizes this, which is why it is seeking to dominate the technology of the twenty-first century. The authors believe this makes adequate radio frequency spectrum for commercially licensed 5G use, in particular the mid-band spectrum that is ideal for high-capacity, wide-area 5G deployment, central to national security. This licensed spectrum will provide the foundation of the 5G future. The U.S. has a significant shortage of licensed mid-band spectrum allocated to 5G when compared to China and other countries.

According to the authors, the United States did well in its initial allocation of spectrum (primarily high-band millimeter wave spectrum) in the first phases to deploy 5G. That advantage is being eroded as demands for spectrum have grown and US allocation of mid-band spectrum has stalled. They believe that 5G is foundational for the digitization that is the key to future economic and military power. It is the product of new, interdependent technologies that strengthen the 5G era, such as quantum computing, cloud services, and artificial intelligence.

The authors urge that solving the commercial spectrum shortage for 5G cannot wait for these technological advances to develop and mature. They emphasize that the U.S. needs a careful strategy for reallocating spectrum from legacy assignments to meet the needs of digitization. They add that there are existing ways to make more spectrum available for commercial use without degrading important government and military uses. In order for the U.S. to maintain its global technological leadership, the authors recommend that all parties public and private including Congress, the White House, the FCC, NTIA, DOD and Commerce Department leadership, network operators, equipment manufacturers, and chip designers need to work together now to ensure there is sufficient spectrum allocated for current and next-generation mobile network technologies. Read more from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Disclosure: Fatty Fish is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.

The Fatty Fish Editorial Team

The Fatty Fish Editorial Team includes a diverse group of industry analysts, researchers, and advisors who spend most of their days diving into the most important topics impacting the future of the technology sector. Our team focuses on the potential impact of tech-related IP policy, legislation, regulation, and litigation, along with critical global and geostrategic trends — and delivers content that makes it easier for journalists, lobbyists, and policy makers to understand these issues.