5G Americas, a trade association, today announced the 5G spectrum recommendations for the U.S. leadership.
The 5G recommendation from 5G Americas provides guidance on licensed wireless spectrum and the necessary steps for the progression and deployment of 5G technologies in the United States.
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Recommendations
3 to 8 GHz:
Finalize rules for the CBRS band in the U.S. by June 2018 and move toward an auction of the resulting licenses as soon as practicable (H1 2019)
Certify a Spectrum Access System by August 2018 for the CBRS band
Prioritize rulemaking in 2018 and allocation of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band for licensed 5G deployment by 2020
Open more mid band spectrum such as 3.45-3.55 GHz by 2022
Continue to look at spectrum opportunities for licensed use of spectrum in the range 7-24 GHz
Above 24 GHz:
FCC should take actions to allow flexible use based on Part 30 in the 26 GHz band
FCC should adopt auction rules and proceed to auctioning the licensed mmWave spectrum that has been allocated via the mmWave Orders as soon as Q4 2018
FCC should issue service rules for the remaining 3.8 GHz of licensed mmWave spectrum that was left unaddressed after the 2nd Report and Order
FCC in coordination with the NTIA should resolve the sharing framework and operability questions and issue the remaining rules so the 37-37.6 GHz band can be used. Ideally, these rules should be aligned with the rules issued for 37.6-40 GHz to benefit from the scale generated by equipment capable of operating across the entire 37-40 GHz range
FCC is encouraged to complete the re-banding of the 39 GHz band and make that band available for auction as soon as possible.
Chris Pearson, president of 5G Americas, said: “With the evolution to 5G technology, greater spectrum resources need to be identified and allocated in the U.S.”
US telecom operators such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, among others, are expected to launch 5G services in 2019 and cover a range of applications.
The different physical characteristics of spectrum leads to some applications being more suitable for, and expected to be deployed in, certain spectrum ranges including low-band, mid-band, and high-band.
In addition, each of these spectrum ranges has specific characteristics that make them more suitable for certain deployment scenarios: Low-band for large-area coverage; mid-band for urban deployment with increased capacity; and high-band for limited coverage and very high capacity. As a result, no single band can meet every 5G requirement and fulfil the promises of 5G.
5G spectrum plans in the U.S. have been mainly focused on the mmWave spectrum above 24 GHz. While mmWaves are helpful in providing large bandwidths necessary for eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), their fundamental propagation challenges prevent them from being an appropriate means for very large area coverage.
5G Americas said the importance of globally harmonized licensed spectrum is essential to the economies of scale for equipment and roaming.
