Page 81 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2022

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

ARTICLE

How Spectrum Allocation will Shape the Region’s

Digital Economy

The mobile industry is the engine for national digital transformation
and the foundation for the digital economy that will shape our
economy and society in unprecedented ways in the next decade.
PWC estimates that 5G technology will add $1.3tn to global GDP
by 2030.

This digital universe has seen the emergence of new services
such as HD video, XR, and the metaverse. These evolutions raise
the requirements for higher data rates such as 1Gbps anytime,
anywhere and 10Gbps in hotspots to support a ubiquitous digital
user experience.

To that end, a sufficient mid-band spectrum will be mandatory
for future mobile service growth. GSMA Research estimates that
mid-band 5G (1GHz – 7GHz) could deliver $610B GDP growth
in 2030 (63.5% of the total 5G benefit). The GSMA also says an
average of 2GHz mid-band per country is necessary as spectrum
reserve for mobile services in the next decade. To secure optimal
5G performance in the long-term, more capacity in this range is
needed, and 6 GHz is a prime candidate.

The GSMA Research estimates that
mid-band 5G (1GHz – 7GHz) could deliver

$610B GDP growth in 2030 (63.5% of the
total 5G benefit). The GSMA also says an
average of 2GHz mid-band per country is
Dr. Abdulhadi Mahmoud AbouAlmal necessary as spectrum reserve for mobile
Director Tech Standards & services in the next decade.
Spectrum Management
etisalat by e& To build on this momentum, the mobile industry supported
the adoption of 6GHz for 5G and beyond. The World
Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) agreed to
establish a new agenda item to study upper 6GHz for IMT
(International Mobile Telecommunication) at WRC-23. Additionally,
the GSMA has advocated 6GHz as the primary band for the future
of 5G evolution and officially set up a 6GHz Supporting Group.
Furthermore, several countries and MNOs have launched 6GHz
IMT field tests between 2021 and 2022 such as “etisalat by e& in
UAE.

81 JULY-AUGUST 2022