WRC-23 concludes with decisions on low-band/mid-band spectrum and 6G (?)
The World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) [1.] in Dubai, UAE ended on Friday. Regulators agreed on new mobile low-band spectrum (below 1 GHz) and mid-band spectrum in the 3.5 GHz and 6 GHz ranges. They also discussed 6G (which is an oxymoron to this author since the many problems we’ve identified with 5G have not been resolved).
Note 1. WRC’s are held every four years under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union Radio communications sector (ITU-R). They are intended to harmonize spectrum usage across the world so that network operators, equipment vendors and others can avoid international fragmentation and leverage global economies of scale.
“WRC-23 has provided a clear roadmap for mobile services to continue to evolve and expand for the benefit of billions across the globe,” said John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer at the GSMA. “The GSMA believes that no-one should be left behind in the digital age and the decisions of WRC-23 will allow us to deliver a brighter future where mobile brings communities together, delivers industrial agility and provides economic growth. Implementation of the WRC-23 decisions will support global digital ambitions, deliver greater digital equality and unlock the full power of connectivity.”
The detailed WRC-23 provisional final acts may be read here.
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Final harmonization of the 3.5 GHz band (3.3-3.8 GHz) – the pioneer 5G band – was achieved across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as well as throughout the Americas.
A new band – the 6 GHz band (6.425-7.125 GHz) – was identified for mobile in every ITU Region – EMEA, the Americas and the Asia Pacific. Countries representing more than 60% of the world’s population asked to be included in the identification of this band for licensed mobile at WRC-23. The 6 GHz spectrum is now the harmonized home for the expansion of mobile capacity for 5G-Advanced and beyond.
“The 6GHz band is the only remaining mid-band spectrum currently available to respond to the data traffic growth in the 5G-Advanced era,” GSMA said in a statement. As the primary international organization representing the 5G industry, it has been pushing for 5G operations in the 6GHz band. “The WRC-23 decision to harmonize the 6GHz band … is a pivotal milestone, bringing a population of billions of people into a harmonized 6GHz mobile footprint. It also serves as a critical developmental trigger for manufacturers of the 6GHz equipment ecosystem,” GSMA said.
ITU-APT Foundation of India said the agreement also opens the path for opening the lower 6 GHz band from 5925-6425 MHz for unlicensed usage to promote innovation in the country.
However, the 6 GHz band approval at WRC-23 may not affect the U.S. market. U.S. regulators at the FCC in 2020 reserved the entire 6GHz band for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed operations, over the objections of the 5G industry.
“If the United States doesn’t present alternative frequency ranges for 5G services that can be internationally harmonized, 5G operations in the 6GHz band could be adopted in more regions. This would allow Chinese equipment to proliferate in regions where the plan is adopted, setting back efforts to make Wi-Fi 6 in the band an international standard,” warned Jeffrey Westling, director of technology and innovation policy at the American Action Forum US nonprofit, in a post published prior to the start of WRC-23.
Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman of the FCC, approved the WRC-23’s work. “The WRC was not just weeks of work in Dubai, but also years of preparation by the FCC, experts across the government, and our telecommunications industry,” she said in a statement. “The delegation’s accomplishments will promote innovation in unlicensed spectrum including Wi-Fi, support 5G connectivity, pave the way for 6G, and bolster U.S. leadership in the growing space economy. We now look forward to getting to work on preparations for WRC-27.”
“Thank you to Deputy Assistant Secretary Steve Lang for his able leadership and to the FCC staff along with the entire U.S. delegation for their exceptional and tireless efforts at WRC-23,” said FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez in a statement. “WRC-23 was the culmination of years of collaboration and hard work between our strong interagency team, the telecommunications industry, and our regional and international partners. The delegation’s accomplishments on terrestrial licensed and unlicensed spectrum as well as space allocations will advance science and economic prosperity worldwide.”
The U.S. Department of State also issued a media note on the delegation’s work at WRC-23 here.
The Wi-Fi Alliance, a U.S. trade group designed to promote the technology in unlicensed bands, also cheered the new 6GHz decision at the WRC-23. The association supported the FCC’s decision to allocate the entire 6GHz band for unlicensed operations.
“The conference adopted an international treaty provision to explicitly recognize that this spectrum is used by wireless access systems such as Wi-Fi,” the Wi-Fi Alliance said in a statement about the WRC-23 decision on 6GHz. The Wi-Fi Alliance noted that WRC-23 identified the 6GHz band for licensed operations in Europe, Africa and a few other countries, but not globally.
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WRC-23 also set out a path towards greater digital equality by defining mobile use of more low-band spectrum in the 470-694 MHz band in EMEA. Low bands can help expand capacity for the internet connectivity of rural communities as their signals reach over wide areas. WRC-23’s new low-band mobile allocations will be an important tool to break down the barriers towards digital equality in the EMEA region and lower the urban/rural connectivity divide.
“Over half the world is connected to the mobile internet today,” said Luciana Camargos, Head of Spectrum at the GSMA. “But, as mobile connectivity develops, we need to ensure that we can deliver services for everyone. The great legacy of WRC-23 will be in allowing us to do so sustainably, affordably and in a way that delivers for the whole planet. We cannot stop here – WRC-23 is only the starting gun and now governments will need to act on its decisions, enabling new mobile technologies that embrace sustainability and unleashing the full potential of mobile to deliver a better tomorrow for our planet.”
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WRC-23 attendees also moved forward on the topic of 6G. Prior to the start of the three week conference in Dubai, the ITU adopted a resolution intended to guide the development of a 6G standard. During the conference, regulators agreed to study the 7-8.5GHz band for 6G in time for the next ITU conference in 2027. That spectrum band aligns with proposals from Ericsson and others for early 6G operations to sit between 7 GHz and 20 GHz.
“This global agreement [on the 7-8.5GHz band] ensures the ongoing growth of 5G around the world and paves the way for 6G from 2030 onwards,” wrote the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) in a statement. “Technical work now starts to determine the sharing and compatibility of 6G with incumbent uses of the identified spectrum.”
Joe Barrett, President of GSA, commented: “The global agreement reached by ITU represents a significant milestone not just in the continued growth of 5G and 5G-Advanced connectivity, but also in the path to 6G. The entire global mobile ecosystem can now innovate with confidence and a clear sense of the spectrum requirements for 6G, both in terms of its future availability and compatibility with other users of the spectrum. At GSA we appreciate the hard work and diligence of ITU and its members that has gone into reaching this welcome global agreement at WRC-23. GSA’s Spectrum Group will continue to contribute studies and technical analysis to international, regional and individual country policymakers and regulators to facilitate the timely availability of spectrum for use by mobile network operators. As an industry, we now look forward to continued 5G growth, 6G innovation and the socio-economic benefits mobile connectivity brings globally.”
Like this author, the Financial Times is not enthusiastic about 6G:
“CB Insights shows that mentions of 5G during earnings calls peaked in 2021 and have since fallen. Network operator capital spending growth is expected to dip next year. Operators want to see better returns on their investment in 5G before they contemplate further network upgrades.”
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References:
https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/opb/act/R-ACT-WRC.15-2023-PDF-E.pdf
https://www.lightreading.com/6g/6ghz-satellites-and-6g-addressed-at-wrc-23#close-modal
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-399175A1.pdf
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-399195A1.pdf
GSA welcomes agreement on future of 5G and 6G spectrum at WRC-23
https://www.ft.com/content/e59a4818-c630-4dac-9c36-477a0c99a9cd
3 thoughts on “WRC-23 concludes with decisions on low-band/mid-band spectrum and 6G (?)”
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Fascinating development about the bifurcation of the 6 GHz band between licensed (5G) and unlicensed WiFi in different countries. It will interesting to see how that plays out in terms of last-mile wireless and in-home network development.
I believe the 6Ghz fiasco is more about politics and a power play between the US interest vs. the rest of the world.
In short, the US wants the 5G mmWave deployments to be a success. But the rest of the world is holding back and betting on 6Ghz WiFi (unlicensed spectrum). To make sure the mmWave is the only way to achieve high speed 5G, the US is trying to “sabotage” the 6Ghz band regulator assignment by creating a conflict of 5G vs. WiFi.
6 GHz Band for 5G Advancements in India according to Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI):
With a greater demand for capacity, speeds, and coverage, there is a need for a greater amount of spectrum in the apt band suitable for deploying technologies. Echoing a similar perspective, COAI highlighted that the allocation of the 6 GHz spectrum band holds great importance for enhancing the quality and coverage of the mobile network in India. Allocating the full 6 GHz band to 5G communications is a move to address the escalating demand for data services across the country, said the Industry Body.
“This decision not only aligns with the rapid growth of data consumption but also positions 5G as a pivotal technology for wide-area applications, including drones, telemedicine, and smart cities. Given that 5G is faster and can handle more data than Wi-Fi, allocating the 6 GHz band is essential to strengthen India’s digital infrastructure for future advancements. The historic agreement reached at the recent World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 held in Dubai, to open this spectrum band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), vindicates the global acknowledgement of the demand by Indian TSPs to allocate this potent band for vital use in 5G, 5G Advanced, and the future 6G,” said COAI.
https://telecomtalk.info/coai-highlights-2023year-end-perspective-indian-telecom/909534/