Critical factors for mobile rest on WRC‑23

Luciana Camargos, Head of Spectrum, GSMA

Mobile can continue to grow. With 50 per cent 5G adoption and 92 per cent smartphone adoption globally, mobile can impact GDP by almost USD 1 trillion in 2030. That is the good news.

The bad news is that 40 per cent of that will be lost if we fail to allocate spectrum for mobile.

Fortunately, spectrum is unlikely to be constrained to today’s levels after the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC‑23). There is always positive momentum behind meeting International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum needs, whether long-term or urgent.

As WRC‑23 approaches, I see enough support for priority IMT radio-frequency bands to alleviate concern.

There is, however, still much work to be done on the technical and regulatory side.

GSMA — representing the worldwide mobile communications industry — believes that WRC‑23 can serve several core purposes: strengthening digital equality, increasing harmonization, and producing spectrum capacity for IMT expansion to the end of the decade. There is also a chance to enhance spectral efficiency by maximizing the use of existing bands and equally the chance to start looking further into the future at 6G bands.

Digital equality

Agenda item 1.5, which looks at the 470–694 megahertz (MHz) band in Region 1, is crucial for closing the digital divide, whether between urban and rural, high- and low-income countries, the rich and poor, or between genders. The propagation characteristics make this low-band radio spectrum attractive for mobile and broadcasting, while simultaneously creating a challenging co-existence environment. However, finding enough capacity in low bands is an ongoing challenge and this frequency has been on the agenda of many WRCs.

Governments need to consider whether a mobile allocation may be useful to the future connectivity needs of their country.

This may be now, or years into the future, but WRC‑23 is the opportunity to give yourselves that future option in Region 1. It is an option that has been held by Regions 2 and 3 for many years and that clear regulatory backdrop has allowed Region 3 a flexibility that Region 1 does not have. With the mobile allocation in place comes the second question of an IMT identification in all or part of the band.

IMT identification and use will support networks that help lower the digital divide, giving more capacity (a 35–45 per cent boost to rural speeds through just the 600 MHz band for example) to those outside cities that rely on low band. Those in low- and middle-income countries, that typically have larger rural populations, may benefit the most.

Harmonization

Harmonization is the golden opportunity of WRCs and one of the most important roles of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The 3.3–3.8 gigahertz (GHz) band has become the global 5G launch band, providing around 80 per cent of 5G launches since the first commercial networks in 2019. This has led to the rich 3.5 GHz ecosystem of devices which support the whole of this band — devices which have hit huge scale and variety, allowing us, once again, to minimize the digital divide through spectrum harmonization.

However, 3.5 GHz is an example of where the Radio Regulations have not kept up with regional or national decisions. In Region 1, both Europe and the Arab world made regional moves to assign 3.3/3.4–3.8 GHz for IMT use well ahead of even the adoption of an agenda item.

This has been the case individually with countries all over the world. The 3.3–3.4 and 3.6–3.8 GHz bands can be concluded at WRC‑23, giving countries what they require for the first phase of 5G.

Mobile expansion

Building on 3.5 GHz, agenda item 1.2 allows us to look into the future expansion of mobile with the 6 GHz band, which is — much needed for 5G expansion. This new band has already been the subject of intensive equipment R&D that, those who joined the GSMA at Mobile World Congress this year will have seen, is starting to reach its conclusion.

6 GHz will enable consistent 5G speeds, with lower network density, while reducing capex and carbon emissions. This band is for the future, and market dynamics will dictate how soon that arrives. How its use will be defined in the Radio Regulations, and with what options chosen to ensure coexistence, will be an important issue at WRC‑23.

Whether you walk the halls at Mobile World Congress, or count the supporters at ITU meetings, 6 GHz mobile is a reality, and countries will be using it to support their mobile networks.

The right consensus at WRC‑23 can help develop IMT while ensuring co‑existence with current services. If we make the right decisions for mobile development, we can avoid the bad news scenario. At GSMA, we believe that WRC decisions can benefit billions by delivering affordable and sustainable mobile growth. But it will be up to the Conference to decide.

Download your copy of the ITU News Magazine: Land, sea and airwaves.

Header image credit: Adobe Stock