Page 38 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

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AT&T Begins 5G DSS Deployment

AT&T heralded the commencement of a role in widespread 5G adoption”. AT&T said its 5G service covered more than
deployment of dynamic spectrum sharing did not name its DSS technology provider, 120 million people across 190 markets
(DSS) technology for its 5G network, with the representative noting only that it in the US and outlined plans to achieve
noting it as a key move in a goal to deliver works with “several vendors across the nationwide coverage by the middle of the
nationwide coverage this year. An AT&T ecosystem to create an intelligent, robust year. Rival Verizon is expected to deploy
representative told Mobile World Live network for our customers”. In April, AT&T DSS for 5G later this year.
DSS is initially deployed on parts of its
network in northern Texas, but will be
extended throughout the year. It launched
low-band 5G on refarmed 4G spectrum
in December 2019 to expand coverage
beyond the limited range of its mmWave
service. The importance of DSS has
been heightened by the shift to 5G. At its
simplest level, the technology enables
a block of spectrum to be shared with
legacy network technologies, in this case
4G, with allocations adapted according to
demand. In a blog, AT&T SVP of Wireless
Technology Igal Elbaz explained DSS had
“become an integral part of our intelligent
network” and is set to “play an essential

AT&T Pursues New STA for 37/39 GHz Tests

AT&T is working with several equipment spectrum for the testing; specifically, it will having amassed 2,024 MHz of mmWave
vendors to test new 5G equipment in use the 38.2-39 GHz and 39.2-40.0 GHz spectrum, according to Brian Goemmer,
the 37/39 GHz band prior to equipment bands. The base station transmitters will president of AllNet Insights. AT&T isn’t
certification, including Nokia, Ericsson, come from Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung, the only one eager to conduct more tests.
Qualcomm and Samsung. The operator with device prototypes from Qualcomm, T-Mobile’s STA application to conduct
filed an application for Special Temporary Samsung and others. AT&T, Verizon and tests in the 39 GHz band in several markets,
Authority (STA) to get the FCC’s permission T-Mobile were the top bidders in the including Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; and
to supplement a previous STA in order to FCC’s largest spectrum auction to date – Irvine and San Diego, California, was still
add the 39200-40000 MHz band and an Auction 103, which ended in March and pending with the FCC at last check. That
additional base station transmitter. AT&T included licenses in the upper 37, the 39 calls for a start date of June 7, ending
said the tests would use several AT&T and 47 GHz bands. Verizon was the top December 7, 2020. In mid-range spectrum
gNodeB sites in the Dallas and Waco areas spender in that auction, but AT&T was able that has yet to be auctioned, Verizon has
of Texas, as well as in San Diego, San to improve its 39 GHz spectrum position asked for experimental authorization
Francisco, New York City and Philadelphia to 786 MHz, an increase of 102%. Before to use the 3.7 – 3.8 GHz band; that’s in
Partial Economic Areas (PEAs). “The that auction, AT&T had acquired 379 MHz portions of Basking Ridge, New Jersey;
testing will prepare AT&T to utilize its 37/39 of 39 GHz spectrum when it purchased Westlake, Texas; Sunnyvale, California; and
GHz spectrum as soon as it is licensed,” the FiberTower for $207 million in early 2018. Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan. The
carrier said. Last month, AT&T was granted When added to the mmWave spectrum 100 MHz sought under the experimental
authorization to conduct nationwide 37/39 AT&T already held in the 24 GHz band, authorization is a subset of the recently
GHz tests until November 8, 2020. The new AT&T’s average spectrum depth post- expanded flexible use C-band in the ranges
application seeks a time frame of June Auction 103 increased to more than 1,040 of 3.7 - 3.98 GHz, which will be auctioned
15 to December 15, 2020. AT&T states MHz nationwide. However, Verizon is still starting at the end of this year.
that it will be using the 5G NR Band 260 king when it comes to mmWave spectrum,

38 JUNE-JULY 2020