Page 110 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY NEWS

Telecom Giants Urge Unity on 6GHz Waves to Make Up Lost Ground in EU

Heavyweight equipment vendors, operators
and select regulators highlighted the 6GHz
frequency band as the last opportunity to
usher in a golden age of 5G connectivity
and the true benefits of the network
standard. Joining hands in Barcelona on
1st March for Mobile World Congress were
European operators including Vodafone,
Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Orange,
and Telia. Alongside the carriers were
equipment manufacturing giants Ericsson,
Huawei, Nokia and GSMAi, the data
consultancy arm of the trade association.
Deutsche Telekom VP of spectrum policy
and projects Jan-Hendrik Jochum said: “In
the last 10 years [the EU industry] lost a lot
of ground due to regulation which is much
more investment-friendly in the US, and
on the other hand we face the situation
of mass fragmentation all over Europe as
not all operators are following the same
rules. This is resulting in a problem for
delivering the European targets that are
set by the Commission and this situation piece of mid-band spectrum that can be and high speeds, services will become
has resulted in a 5G investment gap of licensed exclusively to operators - rather more expensive as more base stations
€150bn.” By 2030, the EU aims to have than being provided unlicensed, in which are needed to plug gaps as data heavy
all EU households connected to gigabit case it can be used for boosting fixed line new technologies such as connected
connectivity and all populated areas broadband. Kalvin Bahia, GSMAi Principal cars and VR/AR become more prevalent.
covered by 5G. Jochum added regulators Economist who co-authored the trade The trade association also found tapping
had previously failed to supply operators body’s latest report ‘The Socioeconomic into this mid-band 5G can add more than
with the required the framework and Value of the 6GHz Band’, said complete US$610 billion to global GDP by 2030,
airwaves, and warned any further hurdles licensed use of the 6GHz band “will deliver but insufficient spectrum availability for
to attain “key” 6GHz waves could stifle the largest benefits across all countries”. operators can lead to a $360 billion of GDP
the industry further. “Not everything that “If less spectrum [from the 6GHz band] is growth lost. Regulators from France, the
was needed by the mobile industry was assigned to 5G this will likely lead to higher UAE and Tunisia expressed their support
given [by regulators] in the past, and now costs [for operators] and lower speeds. of licensed use of the 6GHz spectrum for
we are facing a situation where 6GHz is Annual operations expenditures can rise by mobile. Tariq Al Awadhi, Executive Director
in fact the only possible resource that 70%, and if just the upper part of the band of spectrum affairs at Telecom Regulatory
can sort the situation for us and keep us is licensed then cost will go up by 20%,” Authority for the UAE, noted there are 234
competitive in terms of network quality said Bahia. GSMAi’s research also found million global 5G connections accounting
products”, he explained. Telefonica head unlicensed assignment of 6GHz airwaves for 5% of mobile connections and it
of spectrum strategy Roberto Rodriguez was discovered to be the least beneficial for is forecast to be the dominant mobile
agreed, stating the demand on 5G capacity global connectivity quality and coverage. standard by 2027. He urged the industry
is doubling every two years, and service The GSMA advocates for all operators to to rally behind the need for licensed
quality could “saturate” if regulators do eventually provide 5G which yields speeds spectrum use to sway delegates at World
not assign the bands to operators. GSMAi of 100Mbit/s download and 50Mbit/s Radio Communication Conference 2023
warned that governments need to carefully upload minimum for user experience at any (WRC-23) to make “balanced decisions”
consider what is the most efficient use of time while “on the move”. Without a varied when planning spectrum roadmaps. Olfa
6GHz spectrum when holding auction, as use of a mixture of spectrum from different Jammeli, general director of Tunisian
the 6GHz block is the largest remaining bands to provide widespread coverage regulator Frequency National Agency

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