4G and 5G spectrum guide 2017 - PolicyTracker · The 4G and 5G Spectrum Guide 2017 Patrick Gahan, ... ZTE ... Ericsson expects to see 5G C-Band trials in 2018,

The 4G and 5G Spectrum

Guide 2017

Patrick Gahan, Kane Mumford, Dugie Standeford,

Martin Sims, Catherine Viola and Dr Jonathan Watson

October 2017

The Mobile Spectrum Handbook 2017

2

Table of contents

Executive summary ........................................................................... 4Current and proposed 4G bands ................................................................. 45G bands ..................................................................................................... 4Vendors ....................................................................................................... 5Operators ..................................................................................................... 6Software companies .................................................................................... 6Policy in the leading economies .................................................................. 6

Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................. 8Aims ............................................................................................................. 8The structure of the document ..................................................................... 8The context for this report ............................................................................ 9

Chapter 2: Current mobile bands and proposed 4G bands .... 13Overview .................................................................................................... 13450 MHz .................................................................................................... 17600 MHz .................................................................................................... 20700 MHz .................................................................................................... 22800 MHz .................................................................................................... 27850 MHz .................................................................................................... 31900 MHz .................................................................................................... 34L-band ........................................................................................................ 371800 MHz .................................................................................................. 392 GHz ......................................................................................................... 422.6 GHz ...................................................................................................... 493.5 GHz ...................................................................................................... 515.1-5.9 GHz ............................................................................................... 55

Chapter 3: Proposed 5G bands .................................................. 57Overview .................................................................................................... 573-6 GHz...................................................................................................... 606-10 GHz ................................................................................................... 6210-20 GHz ................................................................................................. 6320-30 GHz ................................................................................................. 6530-40 GHz ................................................................................................. 6740-50 GHz ................................................................................................. 6950-60 GHz ................................................................................................. 7160-70 GHz ................................................................................................. 7270-80 GHz ................................................................................................. 7380-90 GHz ................................................................................................. 74

Chapter 4: Vendors’ views ......................................................... 75Overview .................................................................................................... 75Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. ................................................................... 79Samsung Electronics ................................................................................. 82Nokia .......................................................................................................... 85Cisco .......................................................................................................... 88Ericsson ..................................................................................................... 90Intel ............................................................................................................ 94ZTE ............................................................................................................ 96Huawei Technologies ................................................................................ 98


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Fujitsu ...................................................................................................... 100

Chapter 5: Operators’ perspectives ........................................ 102Overview .................................................................................................. 102Deutsche Telekom Group ........................................................................ 104Telefónica Group ..................................................................................... 107Vodafone Group ...................................................................................... 110SoftBank Group ....................................................................................... 112China Mobile ............................................................................................ 115Orange Group .......................................................................................... 117AT&T ........................................................................................................ 120Verizon Wireless ...................................................................................... 123

Chapter 6: Software companies ............................................... 126Overview .................................................................................................. 126Google ..................................................................................................... 128Facebook ................................................................................................. 130Microsoft .................................................................................................. 132

Chapter 7: Policy in the leading economies ........................... 134Overview .................................................................................................. 134China ....................................................................................................... 135India ......................................................................................................... 139United States ........................................................................................... 142Brazil ........................................................................................................ 146Japan ....................................................................................................... 150Germany .................................................................................................. 154France ...................................................................................................... 158United Kingdom ....................................................................................... 162Italy .......................................................................................................... 165Canada .................................................................................................... 168Spain ........................................................................................................ 171Poland ...................................................................................................... 175


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450 MHz

One of the least popular mobile bands, this is still widely used

for CDMA, although a shift to LTE is underway. Powerful industry

interests would like to see 450 MHz more widely used,

particularly for rural broadband and IoT.

Figure 6) 450 MHz: deployment by region

Back in the early 1980s 450 MHz

was one of the first bands to be

used for mobile, principally in the

Nordic countries, but it never

became as popular as 900 MHz or

850 MHz. In recent years it has

primarily been used for CDMA

services in Scandinavia, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil and Argentina. (See map

below).

However, 450 MHz is a standardised LTE band and as CDMA has declined,

operators have refarmed their 450 MHz licences to LTE. This trend has

continued through 2017 with Indonesian operator STI becoming one of the

latest operators to switch from CDMA to LTE in the 450 MHz band.

The 450 MHz Alliance Some big industry players would like to see greater use made of the band,

and they come together in the 450 MHz Alliance, which includes

vendors such as Huawei, Nokia and Qualcomm.

Huawei is one of the prime movers in the 450 MHz band, having (together

with industry partners) made it the standard of the 3GPP LTE band in 2013

and unveiled the LTE 450 chipset and terminal. Nokia has been making GSM

handsets for use in the band for many years and in 2015 it said it was

extending its “Flexi Base Station” radio product range to work in the band.

Qualcomm’s commercial 450 MHz chipset has been available since February

2014. The company has said that LTE in the band can provide the best

hosting for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, offering cost-

efficient coverage and low latency.

One smaller vendor producing a 450 MHz LTE chipset is Israel’s Altair.

Uplink starts 450.6

Uplink ends 457.6

Downlink starts 460.6

Downlink ends 467.6

E-UTRA band number 31

Mainstream consumer

devices do not support 450

MHz and are unlikely to do

so any time soon


18

450 MHz can be used for internet access and proponents claim it offers

greater coverage, higher data rates (up to 25 Mbps downlink and 12.5 Mbps

uplink), lower latency and better performance than existing (mostly satellite)

rural broadband services. The radius of a 450 MHz cell is theoretically as

much as 50 km; it is estimated that it would take three 900 MHz cells or 24

2.6 GHz cells to achieve the same coverage.

The most significant 450 MHz broadband operator is AINMT Holdings AB,

which offers services in Norway, Denmark and Sweden under the ice.net and

Net 1 brands.

Upcoming auctions Four auctions offering spectrum in the 450 MHz band are due to take place in

2017 and 2018 in Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Bangladesh.

The Polish auction offers a cautionary tale for the future of this band. On the

positive side three companies are said to be interested in bidding; on the

negative side the frequencies were returned by Orange Polska in early 2017

after it decided not to pay the renewal fee of USD 28m.

Powerful industry backers are creating momentum for the future development

of 450 MHz, such as a new band plan for Asia and growing support for IoT

chipsets. On the other hand, while there is reasonable support for 450 MHz

routers for internet access, remote metering and IoT applications, there are

only a handful of mobile handsets supporting the band. Until this changes, it

is difficult to see the band achieving the levels of usage seen in the more

popular LTE bands.

Figure 7) Map: use of 450 MHz in the major economies

Figure 8) Number of licences issued in 450 MHz


19

Figure 9) When do 450 MHz licences expire?

Figure 10) How much 450 MHz spectrum do national

administrations allocate to mobile?


60

3-6 GHz

WRC-15 did not identify 5G candidate bands in this range but the

technology is expected to be deployed in 3.5 GHz, which is being

backed in the US and Europe. An extended 5 GHz unlicensed

band may not be used for 5G directly but it will benefit the

increasingly heterogenous networks of the future.

Figure 73) Possible 5G bands in 3-6 GHz

The 3-6 GHz range has prospects for 5G but these are largely in the 3.4-3.8

GHz range, with only Japan making any serious efforts above 4 GHz.

The group of European regulators which advises the European Commission

supports 3.4-3.8 GHz as Europe's "primary 5G band". A mobile identification

at 3.4-3.6 GHz was agreed by most countries at WRC-15, but the majority of

countries refused to extend this higher, choosing instead to protect satellite

operations in the 3.6-4.2 GHz range.

Japanese operators are testing frequencies around 4.5 GHz for use with 5G

services, although they unique in using this band. Mobile industry group the

GSMA has said its members would like to access frequencies up to 4.2 GHz

in Europe but this is unlikely given resistance from the satellite industry.

NTT Docomo and Nokia in 2015 tested licence assisted access (LAA) in the

5.47-5.725 GHz range and LTE interworking between mmWave and

cmWave technologies using Nokia's "Single RAN Advanced" hardware.

Extending the 5 GHz unlicensed band is also being studied at ITU level in

preparation for WRC-19, by Ofcom, the FCC and by CEPT.

3.5 GHz The US has also taken measures to stimulate new and innovative usage of a

frequency range similar to 3.4-3.8 GHz. In September 2015 the FCC adopted

rules to allow commercial shared use of 150 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz

band (3550-3700 MHz). It uses a three-tiered regulatory approach, called

the Citizens Broadband Radio Service. Google and others are testing in this

range.

Bands to watch

Proposed by Sprint

"Primary 5G band" in Europe

Released in US


61

2.6 GHz The use of 2.6 GHz for 5G is an option being considered by US carrier

Sprint. Sprint, which owns more than 160 MHz in the top 100 U.S.

markets, has described it as "the low-band spectrum of 5G". In a

statement Sprint said it was looking to develop the capacity and coverage of

its 2.6 GHz TDD-LTE spectrum through multiple carrier aggregation; CoMP

(Co-ordinated Multi-Point) with coordinated beamforming; and massive

MIMO. The regulators in Thailand and Singapore also regard 2.6 GHz as a

potential 5G band.

There is general agreement across the mobile industry that 5G needs lower

frequency bands as well as the mmWave bands, a position put particularly

forcibly by Vodafone and AT&T.


90

Ericsson

Ericsson sees C-band spectrum and 26 GHz/ 28 GHz as key

bands for early 5G deployments

Ericsson is a multinational networking and telecommunications equipment

and services company, and is a major contributor to the development of new

mobile technologies and standards.

5G spectrum requirements Spectrum from below 1 GHz right up to the millimetre waves (mmWaves) will

be needed for 5G, according to Lasse Wieweg, Director of Government and

Industry Relations at Ericsson.

For example, sub-1 GHz spectrum will be important for machine

communications for certain Internet of Things (IOT) applications. “For a

number of applications we need very good propagation characteristics and

coverage. This will be implemented in the existing mobile operator spectrum,

using technologies that we're incorporating in both the licensed and

unlicensed bands.”

Wieweg says the benefits of the frequencies around 3 GHz are that there can

be wide channel bandwidths of 100 MHz or more per operator, enabling

advanced antenna technologies such as massive MIMO and beamforming to

be implemented to substantially increase capacity or bit rates.

Meanwhile, the mmWave bands can provide hundreds of megahertz or even

gigahertz of spectrum, and will be used to deliver very high data rates and

capacity in city hot-spots and other high-density environments. The higher

mmWave bands, such as 66-71 GHz, could be helpful for short-range indoor

communications.

“So it's a gradual change from very good coverage and not so high

bandwidth, going up to very high bandwidth but shorter coverage. Everything

will be useful,” says Wieweg.

Short propagation distance isn’t a negative, Wieweg adds. This characteristic

allows for tighter repetition and reuse of frequencies, so that for example

indoors the same spectrum can be reused several times on the same floor or

between floors.

5G spectrum priorities Ericsson points out that some spectrum that has already been identified for

5G at WRC-12 or WRC-15 could potentially be used for 5G deployment,

including the 600 MHz and 700 MHz bands.

“We can also be looking for spectrum ahead of WRC-19,” says Wieweg.

“One of the key bands is the C-Band, but when it comes to the timing of

available spectrum for new usage by 5G ahead of WRC-19, 28 GHz is also a

key band.”

In Europe, the C-Band (3.4-3.8 GHz) has been identified by the Commission

as a 5G ‘pioneer band’. Ericsson expects to see 5G C-Band trials in 2018,

with initial deployments a year later and larger-scale roll-outs from 2020.

Short propagation distance

isn’t a negative, Wieweg

adds

Everything will be useful,”

says Wieweg


91

Ericsson notes that there are regional variations in the C-Band frequencies

that are being considered for 5G, with some countries looking at 3.3-3.6 GHz

or 3.4-3.7 GHz while the European range uniquely includes 3.8 GHz. Despite

these differences, Ericsson believes there is still sufficient harmonisation for

equipment to become available in a timely fashion and for good ecosystems

to develop.

In the longer term, Ericsson thinks the C-Band ranges used for 5G could

extend all the way up to 4.2 GHz. Japan has already made its interest clear

and others may follow. If the interest gathers momentum, then the vendor

believes the whole 3.4-4.2 GHz range could be very important for Europe.

For early 5G deployments, Ericsson also identifies 28 GHz as a key band,

with progress ahead of developments in the C-Band. “We will see some 5G

pre-commercial, friendly-user deployments this year using fixed wireless

access (FWA) systems in the US,” says Wieweg.

In Europe, using the 28 GHz band for 5G is problematic, as it is used for

fixed services and reserved for satellite communications in some countries.

As a result, the region is instead working towards making the 26 GHz band

(24.25-27.5 GHz) for 5G deployment. CEPT is carrying out sharing studies to

understand which parts of the band could be used in future for mobile but

Wieweg points out that it’s not certain that it will be feasible to allocate all the

band in all countries. “That's a very important decision to take, preferably in

the not-so-distant future, to determine which part of that band can become

available in Europe.” He adds that the upper part of the band (26.5-27.5

GHz) is a key possibility, but it would be preferable to identify some additional

frequencies.

Wieweg adds that a few countries, including Sweden and the UK, have

indicated that they are willing to allow deployment in the lower end of the 28

GHz band, where there is a 1 GHz overlap with the upper 26 GHz band

(26.5-27.5 GHz).

Looking ahead to WRC-19, one of the priorities for Ericsson is the 26 GHz

band. “Europe has stated it’ll go ahead before WRC, but there are other

countries that would be interested in this band, so it needs to be studied

carefully for WRC agenda item 1.13,” explains Wieweg.

Ericsson is also seeing interest from a number of countries and regions in

spectrum around 40 GHz, ranging from below 37.5 GHz to 43.5 GHz. The

availability within that frequency range depends on the region, but Ericsson

believes that sufficient harmonisation can be achieved. In the longer term,

Wieweg thinks that the 66-71 GHz range could be very interesting for short-

range communication.

Spectrum sharing According to Ericsson, there is a question-mark over dynamic spectrum

sharing but static sharing in time or place is likely to be exploited to some

extent in the future.

Wieweg attributes the current market failure of Licence Shared Access (LSA,

a static sharing solution) to take off for the 2.3 GHz band in Europe not to any

technological shortcomings, but rather to the sharing conditions being

insufficiently attractive for operators. He points out that there has been more

progress in the US, where a three-tiered spectrum sharing regime is now

Wieweg points out that it’s

not certain that it will be

feasible to allocate all the

band in all countries

...if there are large numbers

of FSS stations close to the

major cities then the

sharing conditions could

become unattractive for

operators


92

being implemented for the 3.5 GHz CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio

Service) band.

Going forward, Wieweg believes that, for the C-Band, sharing between 5G

and fixed satellite service (FSS) may be feasible in some cases, for example

if the earth stations are few in number and distant from urban areas. But if

there are large numbers of FSS stations close to the major cities, or power-

level restrictions on 5G are needed for co-existence, then the sharing

conditions could become unattractive for operators and slow 5G deployment.

According to Ericsson, it’s important for regulators not to over-rely on sharing

as a spectrum management tool. “We've noted that some regulators are

hoping for the technology to be able to adapt to national circumstances, so

that where there’s incumbent usage spread over the band, 5G should be able

to use the spectrum in between,” says Wieweg. Wide channel bandwidths

are vital for 5G, making it even more difficult than with previous generations

to squeeze in some usage between the incumbents. This aspect of the

technology also means that it’s crucial to have a sufficient amount of free

wide spectrum for 5G deployment.

Ericsson believes it's very important to achieve a proper defragmentation of

the C-Band and not just rely on LSA or a similar technology. “A major effort is

going to be needed, and we can see some countries like the UK and France

doing that right now and proposing a solution to clean up the spectrum to a

very large extent,” says Wieweg. “That takes effort and the money, but it will

be a necessary exercise in order to have the contiguous spectrum needed for

5G.”

Unlicensed bands LTE-U, a technology which enables mobile operators to leverage licence-

exempt frequencies at 5 GHz for extra downlink capacity, is high on

Ericsson’s agenda.

The vendor supports a technology-neutral approach for the 5 GHz band, so

that there is a level playing field for all stakeholders, technologies and types

of usage. This includes allowing the market to decide the appropriate

technology for intelligent transport systems (ITS), which have stringent safety

and security requirements. Wieweg says this becoming the accepted point of

view, and for example is embodied in the CEPT’s work item on identifying

more spectrum for wireless access systems in the ranges above 5.9 GHz

(5.925-6.425 GHz).

This CEPT study item aims to accelerate progress in Europe in light of the

uncertainties over what can be achieved at WRC-19 around 5 GHz.

Discussions on this agenda item were deferred from WRC-15, but according

to Wieweg, it continues to be problematic to find a way to resolve the

interference issues for the incumbents. “That’s why in Europe we have this

additional study in CEPT for 5.925-6.425 GHz, as people do not expect the

success that we would have hoped for at WRC-19.”

Spectrum licensing Ericsson expects to see similar forms of licensing for the 3-4 GHz

frequencies and up to the mmWaves as we have today. However, moving to

a situation where governments are auctioning hundreds of MHz or even GHz

of spectrum per operator, Wieweg thinks that regulators and finance

ministries will need to find new licensing models that focus more on bringing

This CEPT study item aims

to accelerate progress in

Europe in light of the

uncertainties over what can

be achieved at WRC-19

around 5 GHz

…it’s important for

regulators not to over-rely

on sharing as a spectrum

management tool.


93

about societal benefits than on the monetisation of spectrum. He adds that

we also need to work out how best to make spectrum available to vertical

industries as they need it, for IOT applications and other commercial uses.


104

Deutsche Telekom Group

Deutsche Telekom's new strategy is to become Europe's leading

telecoms provider. Its spectrum priorities remain focused on,

among other things, spectrum for 5G, longer licence terms in

Europe and more flexibility in spectrum use. Its US subsidiary, T-

Mobile, won 45 per cent of the 600 MHz spectrum sold in the

incentive auction and is about to launch a new 600 MHz network.

Deutsche Telekom operates in over 50 countries worldwide as a provider of

fixed line services and as a mobile operator using the T-mobile brand. It also

offers broadband and Internet Protocol TV products and services for

consumers, and information and communication technology solutions for

business and corporate customers.

Figure 90) Deutsche Telekom's global spectrum licences

The darkest red shows the largest spectrum holdings

4G developments According to its 2016 annual report, DT intends to further deploy its LTE

networks. It plans to cover around 95 percent of the German population with

LTE by 2018; and in its European national companies expects coverage to

reach between 75 and 95 per cent. DT wants to provide substantially more

Wi-Fi HotSpots in Germany and build an even denser mobile

communications network using high-performance small cells. Its US 4G/LTE

network covered around 314 million people at the end of 2016.

In 2017, DT is participating in spectrum auctions in Albania (800 MHz);

Greece (1800/2100 MHz); Macedonia (900/1800 MHz); Austria (3500/3700

MHz); Poland (3700 MHz); Slovakia (1800/3700 MHz); and Czech Republic

(900/1800 MHz and 3700 MHz) according to its interim group management

report for Q1 2017. T-Mobile US acquired 1,525 licenses for 600 MHz

spectrum in the incentive auction, and also agreed with an unnamed third

party to exchange spectrum licenses, a transaction expected to be completed

by year's end.

T-Mobile said it will use

its 600 MHz spectrum

to strengthen its LTE

network and build the

US's first nationwide

5G network.


105

T-Mobile said it will use its 600 MHz spectrum to strengthen its LTE network

and build the US's first nationwide 5G network.

Figure 91)

T-Mobile: licences won in the 2017 US 600 MHz auction

The carrier announced in February 2017 that it is rolling out LTE-U

technology in its LTE network, allowing customers "to tap into the first 20

MHz of underutilized unlicensed spectrum on the 5GHz band" for additional

LTE capacity.

In June 2017 T-Mobile announced the first live commercial test of license

assisted access. The field test, which began in Los Angeles, "showed blazing

741 Mbps download speeds using 80 MHz of aggregated spectrum" in the 5

GHz band.

DT is also a market leader in the use of narrowband IoT spectrum. In

February 2017 it rolled out a NB IoT network in eight European countries

using its 900MHz and 800MHz holdings.

Figure 92) Which bands does Deutsche Telekom use?

Based on the number of licences held in each band.

DT continues to press

for objective,

transparent and non-

discriminatory

spectrum award

procedures


106

5G spectrum position DT's spectrum priorities haven't changed from last year, a spokesman said.

The operator remains focused on 5G use cases and the different spectrum

needed to meet their requirements. DT continues to press for objective,

transparent and non-discriminatory spectrum award procedures, avoidance

of excessive spectrum fees, and timely, aligned award procedures. It also

wants longer license terms and more flexibility for spectrum uses.

The industry as a whole needs "spectrum, spectrum and more spectrum" for

the Internet of Things, DT CEO Timotheus Hottges said at Mobile World

Congress in March 2017. He urged European policymakers to "explore new

avenues" for spectrum policy, including allowing operators to buy spectrum

for the long term instead of have to lease it for limited periods.

T-Mobile took part in a June 2017 "Tech Week" meeting at the White House

which focused on 5G technology and paving the way for rapid deployment of

5G wireless networks, Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray blogged. There,

the company made the point that 5G will need spectrum in a range of bands,

not just mmWave. T-Mobile has asked the Federal Communications

Commission to rethink its

rules for the 3.5 GHz band,

which the provider said is

ideal to meet the mid-band

needs for 5G networks. T-

Mobile is also lobbying for

the FCC to make available

the 3700-4200 MHz band as

well as the 3.1-3.5 GHz

band for 5G.

5G developments Ray unveiled T-Mobile's 5G

strategy in May, 2017.

Nationwide mobile 5G will

require both high-band and

broad low-band coverage,

and having unused

nationwide 600 MHz

spectrum "means T-Mobile

is in an ideal position to

deliver." The carrier expects

to deploy 5G in the 600 MHz

band quickly across its

existing macro network, in

contrast to other carriers'

mmWave plans, he said. T-

Mobile will also help drive

3GPP certification for 5G in

600 MHz. 5G rollout is

expected to start in 2019,

with a target of 2020 for full

national coverage.

The industry needs

"spectrum, spectrum

and more spectrum"…


126

Chapter 6: Software companies

Overview

The economics of OTT

Google, Microsoft and Facebook, whose approaches to spectrum policy are

analyzed in this section, could also be described as “over the top” or OTT

players i.e. they profit by delivering services across the broadband internet

structures provided by traditional telecoms operators. They do not provide

this infrastructure themselves. We know Google for its search facilities;

Facebook for its social networking; and Microsoft is dependent on its cloud

services.

The better, cheaper and more ubiquitous the broadband connection the more

money OTT players will make. So when these companies support initiatives

which aim to “connect the last three billion” they are pursuing a humanitarian

objective, but they are also being driven by a business model where profits

come from its ability to scale effectively.

Like all businesses, these companies are looking for growth and the

previously unconnected in the developing world are a crucial new target

market. Facebook is particularly active in the area with its internet.org

initiative and Telecom Infra Project. Both Google and Facebook hope to

expand connectivity through the use of high altitude platforms (HAPS).

Cheap internet access is also crucial to the OTT model. The less customers

are paying and the less they worry about data usage, the more they will use

the internet and the more successful OTT players can be. Hence their

interest in free or very cheap spectrum which can also increase broadband

competition and drive down the prices of the traditional telecoms operators.

Unlicensed spectrum

In pursuit of their business models, Google, Facebook and Microsoft all

support making additional unlicensed spectrum available and protecting that

which already exists.

For example, in recent months Microsoft has urged the FCC to maintain

unlicensed access in 64-71 GHz band, ensure that three 6 MHz channels are

available for unlicensed use in 600 MHz after the incentive auction and

backed unlicensed use of the 5.9 GHz band.

Sharing

Sharing spectrum is another way of increasing competition in broadband

access and this is strongly backed by the OTT players. Google has been a

leading proponent of the CBRS sharing regime in 3.5 GHz in the US and has

urged other countries to adopt it. Also in the US both Microsoft and Facebook

are urging greater sharing in 37 GHz. In the long run Microsoft would like to

see sharing become the default approach for spectrum use.

Google and Microsoft have been enthusiastic supporters of spectrum sharing

in TV Whitespaces for over a decade but with the lack of commercial success

The better, cheaper

and more ubiquitous

the broadband

connection the more

money OTT players

will make


127

has led them to turn their attentions to the use of similar database-driven

technologies in the CBRS regime.

All three companies are supportive of the Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA)

and are seeking new areas in which it can be used. This contrasts with

telecoms vendors, who generally prefer static sharing though mechanisms

such as LSA.

Interest in frequencies above 70 GHz

5G seeks to provide internet access in the mmWave bands and as the target

frequencies have crept higher and higher some researchers are expressing

interest in using bands about those currently licenced in the US, namely

beyond 95 GHz. Google and Facebook are both interested in this field and

have lobbied the FCC to create rules for the “next spectrum frontier”.

Both companies are also developing services in the 70/80 GHz band, some

for their HAPS.


135

China

China's government and its three mobile network operators

(MNOs) are actively preparing for 5G. The MNOs expect to launch

commercial services by 2020.

Outlook

In June 2017, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)

launched a consultation on the possible use of millimetre wave (mmWave)

spectrum in the 24.75-27.5 GHz and 37-42.5 GHz ranges for 5G services.

This consultation followed the launch of another one on plans to use

spectrum in the 3300-3600 MHz and 4800-5000 MHz ranges for 5G. The

regulator said the 3300-3400 MHz band would, in principle, be limited to

indoor use, though it could also be used outdoors where there is no

interference from radio stations. Similarly, the use of the 3400-3600 MHz

range is expected to clash with spectrum used for satellite earth stations.

Finally, the MIIT added that the 4800-5000 MHz range could also be

problematic for 5G, citing its January 2014 Frequency Allocation Policy,

which sets aside airwaves at 4825-4835 MHz, 4950-4990 MHz and 4990-

5000 MHz for radio astronomy. As a possible compromise, the regulator

suggested that the uppermost block (4990-5000 MHz) could be reserved for

this function, whilst the rest could be used for 5G.

A study published by the research arm of the MIIT has suggested that

China’s three MNOs will invest a total of 2.8 trillion Chinese yuan ($411

billion) in 5G technologies between 2020 and 2030, with annual spending

projected to peak at 313.3 billion yuan in 2023.

In June 2017, China’s IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group – a platform for the

promotion of 5G research and development, jointly led by the MIIT, the

National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of

Science and Technology (MOST) – said it had finalised plans for a 30-site 5G

test field in the Huairou district of Beijing.

China Mobile, the largest operator in China and indeed the world, said in

March 2017 that it would launch large-scale pre-commercial 5G field trials in

2019, paving the way for a 2020 commercial launch. This followed an earlier

announcement that it would initially concentrate on using spectrum in sub-6

GHz bands, but would test higher frequency ranges after the first 18 months.

In 2017 the operator is building seven experimental base stations in four or

five cities, before expanding to 20 base stations in 2018, when it will begin

testing end-to-end commercial products and testing the pre-commercial

network. In 2019 the operator plans to ramp up the programme, expanding

the scale of the 5G trial network, with a view to deploying 10,000 5G base

stations by the end of 2020, paving the way for a commercial launch shortly

afterwards.

China Mobile's focus is on spectrum below 6 GHz, with the C band (3.4-4.2

GHz) a priority. In February 2017, the operator said it was conducting 5G

trials, based on 3GPP Release 15, with chip vendor Qualcomm and

equipment vendor ZTE in the 3.5 GHz band.

China Unicom said in its interim report for the first half of 2017 that it was

launching 5G "network field trials" in cities and jointly developing 5G

applications and solutions with its partners. China Mobile launched a 5G

"field experiment" in 2017 and said it would start the construction of mobile

China’s three MNOs

will invest a total of

$411 billion in 5G

technologies between

2020 and 2030


136

networking to speed up SDN and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to

bring the next generation of cloud network transformation to 346 cities in

China.

China Unicom and ZTE completed a field test of 5G New Radio (NR)

technology in July 2017, achieving peak download speeds of 2 Gbps. The

trial used a pre-commercial 5G base station using 100 MHz of bandwidth in

the 3.5 GHz band, massive multiple-input, multiple-output (Massive MIMO),

low-density parity check (LDPC) and other key 5G technologies.

China Telecom plans to conduct commercial trials of 5G technology in 2019

and says it will carry out "network field trials" in six Chinese cities. "5G

standards are not yet finalised and its monetisation models are different from

2G and, 3G or 4G networks because it’s machine-centric rather than human-

centric," CEO and chairman Yan Jie said in August. "We expect a more

gradual process for 5G investment, unlike the spike we’ve seen for 4G."

China Telecom has also expanded its LTE network coverage to around 98

per cent of the population, having installed 310,000 new 4G base stations

using refarmed spectrum in the 800 MHz band.

Current position China had more than 1.36 billion mobile subscribers at the end of the first

half of 2017, according to the MIIT.

China Mobile is the world’s largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers.

By the end of June 2017, it had over 866 million subscribers, 594 million of

whom were using 4G. China Mobile also holds more than half of the country's

licensed spectrum.

China Unicom and China Telecom are China’s other two major mobile

operators. The former had 269.5 million subscribers at the end of the June

2017, including 139 million of whom were using 4G, while the latter had 230

million, including 152 million 4G users. Both firms have significantly less

spectrum than China Mobile. (See all operators)

Figure 108) National mobile licence holders

Shows operators with sub-3 GHz mobile licences covering 40% of country or more.

We expect a more

gradual process for 5G

investment, unlike the

spike we’ve seen for

4G


137

Background 210 MHz of LTE TDD spectrum is allocated in China:

§ 130 MHz for 326 cities in 1880-1900 MHz (band 39), 2320-2370 MHz

(band 40), and 2575-2635 MHz (band 41) to China Mobile

§ 40 MHz for 55 cities comprising 2300-2320 MHz and 2555-2575

MHz to China Unicom

§ 40 MHz for 42 cities comprising 2370-2390 MHz and 2635-2655

MHz to China Telecom.

The MIIT awarded TDD LTE operating licences to China Mobile, China

Telecom and China Unicom in December 2013.

China Mobile launched TDD LTE in December 2013; China Telecom

followed suit in February 2014; and China Unicorn did the same in March

2014. All three are developing LTE-Advanced.

In February 2015, MIIT awarded FDD LTE commercial licences to China

Telecom and China Unicom. China Telecom received an additional 2 x

20 MHz band 3 licence along with permission to refarm 2 x 15 MHz of its

band 1 spectrum for FDD LTE, and China Unicom received an additional 2 x

10 MHz band 3 licence for FDD LTE. China Mobile has reportedly applied for

an FDD licence in support of its TDD LTE network and to

showcase convergence.

The Chinese government is also considering 1.4 GHz and 3.5 GHz spectrum

for TDD LTE assignment, as well as exploring the application of 50 GHz and

beyond to meet the future demands of mobile broadband.

As shown in the graph below China's enthusiasm for TDD is the most notable

feature of its spectrum policy.

Administrative approval is China's licensing method. Comparative selection

only started being used in 2001 and auctions have not been used yet.

We expect a more

gradual process for 5G

investment, unlike the

spike we’ve seen for

4G


138

Figure 109) Spectrum allocated to current mobile services in

China

Entries for specific bands show the average amount of national spectrum allocated to a band if that band is used for

mobile in a particular country.

Documents

4G and 5G spectrum guide 2017 - PolicyTracker · The 4G and 5G Spectrum Guide 2017 Patrick Gahan, ... ZTE ... Ericsson expects to see 5G C-Band trials in 2018,