The GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association) has welcomed the decision of the global spectrum regulators at the ITU's World Radio Conference 2019 (WRC-19) to identify several millimeter-wave frequency bands for 5G IMT. They have agreed to allocate over 10 GHz of spectrum for 5G in the 26, 40, 47 and 66 GHz ranges. This decision will pave the way for governments and regulators around the world to make frequency bands available for ultra-fast 5G services in hotspots and home broadband environments by relying on a global ecosystem.
GSA members have participated in the difficult negotiations that have taken place in the run-up to this decision, particularly with regards to 26 GHz, keeping in mind the need to protect satellite services in the adjacent spectrum while remaining committed to the delivery of high–performance economical solutions to the global markets.
GSA is also delighted that administrations have agreed to study additional spectrum opportunities in the mid-band frequencies between 3.3 and 10.5 GHz, as well as spectrum below 1 GHz. This will help enable 5G services to be further deployed in wider geographical areas, including rural areas, as well as meet the anticipated increased traffic needs of population centers in the next decade.
Joe Barrett, President of GSA said that ‘ by 2024 over 130 Exabytes of data will be transmitted globally every month and the mobile industry will need to deploy 5G technology in a broad range of frequency bands to meet this demand. Applications that will drive this massive data usage include 8k mobile video, Augmented and Virtual Reality, HD video, industrial automation and robotics, drone and aeronautical networks and the IoT. Spectrum regulators have recognized that low, mid and high-band frequencies need to be available and harmonized globally as much as is possible to ensure mobile broadband can meet the expanding services both industry and consumers are expecting in the coming years. Today’s decision is a significant and welcome step in ensuring the transformational power of 5G can be fully realized in every market around the world.’
GSA is a not-for-profit industry organization representing companies across the worldwide mobile ecosystem who are engaged in the supply of infrastructure, semiconductors, test equipment, devices, applications, and mobile support services.
