By Joseph Waring
GSMA spectrum head insists 5G requires space to grow
GSMA’s Head of spectrum warned the global economy could lose up to 40 per cent of the projected benefits of 5G services if additional mid-band spectrum is not allocated to mobile services.
Luciana Camargos told Mobile World Daily, ahead of her participation in a session entitled Spectrum: Delivering a 6G Future, that with very little unused spectrum, exploring new bands is always challenging. “For governments that want to remain at the forefront of innovation, spectrum access must continue to be a high priority.”
Without sufficient new spectrum allocated, she stated the global 5G benefits in 2030 could decrease from 0.68 per cent of GDP to 0.42 per cent of GDP, or from around $960 billion to less than $600 billion.
Camargos said 5G needs space to grow and 6G will require new bandwidth.
A new frequency range for 6G being considered is the 7GHz to 24GHz band, with a focus in 7GHz to 15GHz which is supported by the GSMA and represents a potential solution for the 2023-2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) study cycle at the ITU.
The association estimates an average of 2GHz of mid-band spectrum will be needed per market by 2030 to ensure sustainable 5G growth. “But there is a distance to travel before we get to that figure across the world.”
She noted 2023 is an important year for spectrum allocation, with WRC 2023 starting in November.