Spectrum
GSMA Vision 2040 study identifies spectrum needs during the peak 6G era of 2035–2040
According to a recent GSMA Vision 2040 study, many cities worldwide could face capacity limitations by 2030 if mid-band spectrum availability does not increase, impacting over half of the global urban population. Strategic long-term planning for future wireless generations like 6G is necessary, as device and equipment development can take over a decade, with 6G expected to account for roughly 5 billion connections by 2040 while 4G and 5G remain prevalent. The GSMA’s modeling forecasts a significant rise in traffic, potentially reaching 4,000 EB/month by 2040 in a high-growth scenario driven by AI-enabled applications. The report’s analysis shows that countries must act now to secure enough spectrum for 6G, or risk slower speeds, rising congestion and lost economic opportunity in the 2030s.The GSMA cautions that without early government planning, consumers could face poorer connectivity, businesses may struggle to adopt new technologies, and national digital economies could lose competitiveness in the global transition to 6G.
“Next-generation 6G networks will require up to three times more mid-band spectrum than is typically available today to keep pace with surging demand for data, AI-powered services and advanced digital applications, according to new analysis published today by the GSMA, which represents the mobile ecosystem worldwide.”
John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA:
“This study shows that the 6G era will require three times more mid-band spectrum than is available today. Satisfying these spectrum requirements will support robust and sustainable connectivity, deliver digital ambitions and help economies grow. I hope this report provides useful insights to governments as they strive to meet the connectivity needs of their citizens in the coming decade.”
Long-Term Spectrum Planning Underpins Enterprise Strategy:
Planning for 6G requires a substantial lead time; the report highlights that device ecosystem readiness and equipment development cycles often span a decade or more. Telecom operators must finalize decisions regarding fiber backhaul, Radio Access Network (RAN) upgrades, and site acquisitions years before new services go live. Enterprises developing AI-driven products or advanced mobility services rely heavily on this network predictability.
The report’s modeling suggests 6G will account for roughly 5 billion connections by 2040—approximately half of all global mobile connections. However, 4G and 5G will remain heavily utilized, particularly in emerging markets, making immediate spectrum re-farming impractical. Operators will increasingly rely on multi-RAT spectrum sharing (MRSS) to manage parallel generations of mobile technology. While MRSS offers improved efficiency over current dynamic spectrum sharing methods, coexistence introduces inherent operational complexity.
AI, Sensing, and the Power User Dynamic:
Demand is shifting toward intelligence-driven workloads, resulting in projected traffic growth across all GSMA scenarios. Even the most conservative projection forecasts 10% annual growth between 2030 and 2040, reaching 1,700 EB/month. The high-growth scenario predicts 4,000 EB/month, driven largely by AI-enabled applications.
The report identifies four primary channels through which Artificial Intelligence will impact traffic:
- New applications: including multimodal assistants.
- Performance demands: higher requirements for existing experiences like personalized video.
- Increased time online.
- Efficiency gains: some optimization through compression.
Enterprises implementing AI assistants, high-definition video, or hybrid cloud-edge processing will contribute significantly to this shift, requiring a focus on increased uplink demand.
A key behavioral finding is that 10% of users currently generate 60-70% of mobile traffic. As digitally-native generations mature, these usage patterns will become mainstream. Enterprise solutions for mobility, frontline workers, and customer engagement must be architected to handle these higher sustained uplink and downlink loads.
Geospatial analysis shows that 83% of traffic is concentrated in 5% of geographic areas. Dense-urban traffic can be nearly 700x higher per square kilometer than in rural areas. For enterprises operating in high-demand zones (e.g., logistics hubs, retail corridors, public venues), the localized performance of RAN deployments will determine service reliability and efficacy.
Mid-Band Spectrum as 6G’s Anchor Capability:
The GSMA study asserts that dense-urban areas will require 2-3 GHz of mid-band spectrum globally by 2035-2040, increasing to 2.5-4 GHz in higher-demand markets. Many regions currently provide only around 1 GHz, necessitating an additional 1-3 GHz allocation. The report stresses that at least 2 GHz must be operational by 2030 to prevent early 6G rollouts from facing immediate congestion.
This additional spectrum capacity enables several critical 6G capabilities:
- Low latency: Wide channels required for sub-10 ms latency supporting digital twins and real-time sensors.
- Balanced performance: Symmetrical uplink/downlink performance for real-time bi-directionality.
- Efficiency: Efficient reuse of existing bands via MRSS.
- Optimized deployment: Reduced reliance on mmWave, which is not economical for wide-area traffic coverage.
Operational Constraints to Manage:
- Densification Limits: Most urban networks operate optimally within inter-site distances of 200-800m. Further densification introduces rapidly escalating costs, making spectrum acquisition a more scalable solution.
- mmWave Role: Millimeter wave (mmWave) remains a supplementary technology, suitable for localized capacity but limited to carrying 5-10% of dense-urban traffic; it does not replace mid-band for wide-area coverage.
- Wi-Fi Offload: Due to its unmanaged nature, Wi-Fi offload cannot deliver the predictable performance guarantees required for mission-critical 6G-era applications.
- Gradual Re-farming: With 4G and 5G still prevalent through 2040, MRSS is essential for balancing capacity across generations of radio technology.
Recommendations for Telecoms Companies:
Telecom operators should develop a long-term spectrum roadmap informed by these findings, prioritizing 2-3 GHz globally, with targets up to 4 GHz in high-demand markets. Key actions include:
- Prioritize 6 GHz: Focus on the upper 6 GHz band, which offers approximately 700 MHz of new capacity between 6.425-7.125 GHz.
- Integrate MRSS: Build multi-RAT spectrum sharing into core network design to balance 4G, 5G, and 6G operations.
- Model Uplink Demands: Plan for greater asymmetric demands driven by future uplink-heavy workloads (e.g., enterprise AI, sensing).
- Address Vertical Needs: Prepare specific service level agreements (SLAs) for verticals such as manufacturing, transport, and retail that require guaranteed latency and reliability.
- Evaluate Densification: Utilize densification strategically in high-value, targeted areas rather than as a broad replacement for acquiring additional spectrum.
Conclusions:
Spectrum policy directly translates to concrete operational outcomes. A city or nation’s ability to deliver reliable 6G performance will be a key determinant of future economic growth and service innovation. For both telecom operators and enterprise technology leaders, aligning current investment strategies with critical spectrum decisions is essential for defining next-generation connectivity infrastructure. The full study is available on the GSMA Intelligence website.
Editor’s Note:
ITU-R is the SDO (Standards Development Organization) that defines the framework, requirements, and evaluation criteria for IMT-2030 (6G) systems, which includes identifying the necessary spectrum. The WRC-23 identified key frequency ranges (e.g., 4400-4800 MHz, 7125-8400 MHz, and 14.8-15.35 GHz) for further study for IMT-2030 under a WRC-27 agenda item.
After WRC determines the IMT 2030 frequencies, ITU-R WP 5D will develop a recommendation for IMT 2030 Frequency Arrangements, just as it did for IMT 2020, but it was delayed due to bickering and only was finalized after the ITU-R M.2150 recommendation (IMT 2020 RIT/SRITs) was approved. Specifically, ITU-R M.1036-7 provides harmonized frequency bands to facilitate global roaming and economies of scale, while acknowledging that specific national band plans may vary due to existing services.
References:
https://www.telecomstechnews.com/news/the-spectrum-decisions-shaping-gsma-6g-era-report/
Big 5G Conference: 6G spectrum sharing should learn from CBRS experiences
India’s TRAI releases Recommendations on use of Tera Hertz Spectrum for 6G
WRC-23 concludes with decisions on low-band/mid-band spectrum and 6G (?)
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/study-groups/rsg5/rwp5d/imt-2030/pages/default.aspx
Do ITU Radio Regulations Matter? China allocates 6 GHz spectrum for 5G and 6G services prior to WRC 23; CTIA objects!
Gartner: Gen AI nearing trough of disillusionment; GSMA survey of network operator use of AI
GSMA: China’s 5G market set to top 1 billion this year
Highlights of GSMA study: Mobile Net Zero 2024, State of the Industry on Climate Action
GSMA- ESA to collaborate on on new satellite and terrestrial network technologies
GSMA: Closing the digital divide in Central Asia and the South Caucasus
InterDigital led consortium to advance wireless spectrum coexistence & sharing
InterDigital, Inc, a mobile, video and AI technology research and development company, was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of War (DoW) to lead research and conduct demonstrations of advanced spectrum coexistence for civil and military applications. Spectrum sharing optimizes the use of the airwaves, or wireless communications channels, by enabling multiple categories of users to safely share the same frequency bands.
A consortium led by InterDigital, including DeepSig, Skylark Wireless, Virginia Tech, and Radisys, will endeavor to advance spectrum coexistence. The collaboration will focus on developing and testing new technologies that leverage artificial intelligence, advanced sensing, and commercial 5G systems. The need for this work stems from the high demand for mid-band frequencies, which are essential for both defense radar and commercial wireless applications due to their balance of coverage and capacity. The goal is to enhance dynamic spectrum sharing performance, ensuring national security radar systems can function without interference while enabling commercial 5G to operate in the same frequency bands.
The consortium plans to develop new technologies that will enable government and industry systems to “more seamlessly coexist.” Examples are given as low-latency AI-based distributed spectrum sensing and interference mitigation operations performed locally at cellular base stations and user equipment.
“InterDigital’s heritage of research has produced innovations that make it possible for radar and communications to coexist in ways that were not feasible,” said InterDigital CTO Rajesh Pankaj. “Building on our groundbreaking work in sensing and AI integration, we can foster greater collaboration between government and industry to achieve more efficient sharing of one of our most valuable resources. We look forward to working with the DoW and alongside these esteemed partners and suppliers.”
“DeepSig is proud to support the DoW and InterDigital in advancing dynamic spectrum sharing technologies,” said DeepSig CEO Jim Shea. “Our AI-native spectrum sensing and communications software was developed to help meet this need and brings the speed, accuracy and adaptability needed to ensure that critical defense systems and commercial 5G networks can safely and efficiently coexist. This project represents an important step toward unlocking the full potential of mid-band spectrum for both national security and next-generation connectivity, and offers to help unlock future band-sharing for 6G and beyond.”
Skylark Director of Business Development & Product Samir Rahi added: “Skylark is pleased to have been selected as a collaborator for the DoW and InterDigital’s coalition of US-based partners to support dynamic spectrum-sharing solutions. This activity builds upon Skylark’s prior success in related DoW programs. Specifically, our flexible architecture for last-mile connectivity is designed to integrate best-of-breed technologies in real-time, from partners such as InterDigital and DeepSig, at the pace of innovation required to support national interests. Skylark believes the DoW’s initiatives such as this represent the United States’ emerging capabilities in deploying dynamic spectrum-sharing at scale, providing dual use benefits for the commercial sector while simultaneously advancing national security objectives.”
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This project will leverage InterDigital’s proven foundational dynamic spectrum sharing technologies, which have been successfully demonstrated in commercial deployments and validated through prior government initiatives. The team will build upon this baseline with new and innovative technologies, including low-latency AI-based distributed spectrum sensing and interference mitigation operations performed locally at cellular base stations and user equipment. These new technologies will enable government and industry systems to more seamlessly coexist.
Image Credit: Blue Planet Studio SHUTTERSTOCK
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About InterDigital®
InterDigital is a global research and development company focused primarily on wireless, video, artificial intelligence (“AI”), and related technologies. We design and develop foundational technologies that enable connected, immersive experiences in a broad range of communications and entertainment products and services. We license our innovations worldwide to companies providing such products and services, including makers of wireless communications devices, consumer electronics, IoT devices, cars and other motor vehicles, and providers of cloud-based services such as video streaming. As a leader in wireless technology, our engineers have designed and developed a wide range of innovations that are used in wireless products and networks, from the earliest digital cellular systems to 5G and today’s most advanced Wi-Fi technologies. We are also a leader in video processing and video encoding/decoding technology, with a significant AI research effort that intersects with both wireless and video technologies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on Nasdaq.
InterDigital is a registered trademark of InterDigital, Inc.
For more information, visit: www.interdigital.com.
InterDigital Contact:Roya StephensEmail: [email protected] +1 (202) 349-1714
About DeepSig, Inc.DeepSig is a pioneer in AI native wireless communications which are helping to shape 6G. Its transformative technology pushes the boundaries of spectrum sensing, wireless performance and network capabilities. Drawing on its expertise in deep learning, wireless systems and signal processing, DeepSig’s AI/ML-powered software enhances security, efficiency and capacity for tactical and commercial wireless communications in licensed or shared radio spectrum and in existing 5G Open RAN or AI native next generation 6G networks.
For more information, visit: https://www.deepsig.ai/
DeepSig Contact: [email protected]
About Skylark Wireless
Skylark Wireless is building the interface between the physical and digital worlds by connecting industrial, enterprise, and public sector customers through a dynamic, converged communications platform. The company designs and manufactures US-assembled critical infrastructure for last-mile connectivity that combines patented techniques to improve range, performance, and interference mitigation with a fully software-defined radio architecture. This fusion of efficiency and flexibility uniquely supports an ever-growing collection of value-add use cases as networks evolve from 5G to 6G and beyond. To learn more about Skylark’s connectivity solution, please contact [email protected]
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Other Spectrum Activities:
- Earlier in 2025, the GSMA’s global 5G spectrum landscape stated mid-band remains the backbone of 5G deployments, while interest in both low-band and mmWave “continues to evolve in line with network strategies and future 6G planning.”
- ITU-R WP 5D develops the methodologies for carrying out sharing and coexistence studies between IMT and other radio services, such as broadcasting and satellite services. These studies address issues like potential interference and define separation criteria and technical conditions for coexistence.
- WP 5D’s work also addresses the evolution of spectrum management to incorporate more efficient techniques like dynamic spectrum access (DSA).
- As part of its process, WP 5D collaborates with and receives input from various external organizations, research communities, and other ITU-R Working Parties. This collaborative approach ensures that the spectrum management and coexistence frameworks for IMT systems are robust and informed by diverse perspectives.
References:
InterDigital to Lead Research and Demonstrate Advanced Spectrum Coexistence; DeepSig to Partner
https://www.nist.gov/spectrum-sharing
Why Spectrum Sharing is Critical for the Future of Connectivity
mmWave Coalition on the need for very high frequency spectrum; DSA on dynamic spectrum sharing in response to NSF RFI
Big 5G Conference: 6G spectrum sharing should learn from CBRS experiences
AT&T to buy spectrum licenses from EchoStar for $23 billion
Executive Summary:
Embattled EchoStar Corp, parent company of Dish Network [1.], has agreed to sell spectrum licenses to AT&T Inc. for about $23 billion in a deal that will help the company stay out of bankruptcy and fend off regulatory concerns about its airwave use. The sale will expand AT&T’s wireless network and add about 50 MHz of low-band and mid-band spectrum in an all-cash transaction, the Dallas, Texas-based telecommunications company said in a statement on Tuesday. The deal is expected to close by mid-2026, pending regulatory approval.
Note 1. Dish Network is one of only two U.S. wireless telcos that have commercially deployed 5G SA core network on Amazon’s AWS public cloud.. The EchoStar subsidiary has also deployed 5G OpenRAN.
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Key Takeaways:
- $23 billion acquisition will add an average of approximately 50 MHz of low-band and mid-band spectrum to AT&T’s holdings – covering virtually every market across the U.S. and positioning AT&T to maintain long-term leadership in advanced connectivity across 5G and fiber
- Transaction powers improved and capital-efficient long-term growth by accelerating the Company’s ability to add converged subscribers with both 5G wireless and home internet services in more places
- Leading AT&T network will enable continued EchoStar participation in wireless industry through long-term wholesale network services agreement
AT&T said the acquisition of approximately 30 MHz of mid-band spectrum and 20 MHz of low-band spectrum will strengthen the company’s ability to deliver 5G and fiber services across the US. EchoStar will operate in the US market as a hybrid mobile network operator under its Boost brand, the company said in the statement. AT&T will be its primary network partner for wireless service. AT&T has been spending heavily to expand its fiber-optic network across the country and previously said it would use cash savings from Trump’s tax and spending bill to accelerate those plans. In May, it agreed to buy the consumer fiber operations of Lumen Technologies Inc. for $5.75 billion, expanding its fast broadband service in major cities like Denver and Las Vegas. AT&T intends to finance the EchoStar deal with a combination of cash on hand and borrowings. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. advised AT&T on the EchoStar acquisition.
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Backgrounder:
Federal regulators have been pushing EchoStar to sell some of its airwaves after concerns it had failed to put valuable slices of wireless spectrum to use, Bloomberg reported in July. The FCC launched an investigation in May into whether EchoStar was meeting its obligations for its wireless and satellite spectrum rights. The company skipped bond payments and considered filing for bankruptcy, saying the probe had stymied its ability to make decisions about its 5G network. In a June meeting, first reported by Bloomberg, Trump urged EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to cut a deal to resolve the dispute. EchoStar shopped the assets to other would-be buyers, including Elon Musk’s Starlink, Bloomberg earlier reported.
The purchase price is $9 billion more than EchoStar paid for the spectrum and $5 billion more than the appraised value used in securitizing the assets, New Street Research’s Philip Burnett said in a research note Tuesday. While $1.5 billion shy of New Street’s valuation, he said the sale price was “nevertheless a great mark on value.”
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Quotes:
EchoStar CEO Ergen described the sale and related agreement to work with AT&T as “critical steps toward resolving the FCC’s spectrum utilization concerns.”
FCC spokesperson Katie Gorscak said “We appreciate the productive and ongoing discussions with the EchoStar team. The FCC will continue to focus on ensuring the beneficial use of scarce spectrum resources.”
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References:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/t-buy-echostar-spectrum-licenses-160830548.html
https://about.att.com/story/2025/echostar.html
FCC to investigate Dish Network’s compliance with federal requirements to build a nationwide 5G network
FCC approves EchoStar/Dish request to extend timeline for its 5G buildout
New FCC Chairman Carr Seen Clarifying Space Rules and Streamlining Approvals Process
Dish Network & Nokia: world’s first 5G SA core network deployed on public cloud (AWS)
Dish Network to FCC on its “game changing” OpenRAN deployment
DISH Wireless Awarded $50 Million NTIA Grant for 5G Open RAN Center (ORCID)
U.S. Cellular to Sell Spectrum Licenses to Verizon in $1 Billion Deal
The WSJ reports that U.S. Cellular is selling a portion of its retained spectrum licenses to Verizon for $1 billion in cash as it looks to monetize the spectrum that wasn’t included in the proposed sale to T-Mobile. The Chicago-based telco, which caters to a base of mostly rural customers (approximately 4.5 million) across several states, on Friday said the deal includes the sale of 663 million megahertz point-of-presences of its cellular spectrum licenses. The deal is expected to close in mid-2025.
Under the terms of the agreement, U.S. Cellular will also sell 11 million megahertz point-of-presences of its advanced wireless services, and 19 million megahertz point-of-presences of its personal communications services licenses. The company said it has entered into additional agreements with two other mobile operators for the sale of other selected spectrum licenses.
TDS, the majority shareholder of U.S. Cellular, has delivered its written consent to approve the Verizon transaction.
Each transaction is dependent upon the closing of the proposed sale of the company’s cellular wireless operations and select spectrum assets to T-Mobile.
In May, T-Mobile agreed to buy much of U.S. Cellular’s operations which included about 30% of UScellular spectrum holdings, all of its customers and its retail stores in a deal worth $4.4 billion. That deal still requires regulatory approvals. It would give T-Mobile more than four million new customers and a trove of valuable spectrum rights to carry more of their data over the air.
According to the financial analysts at New Street Research, UScellular managed to score a higher-than-expected sale price to Verizon. “We valued these licenses at $812 million, and so this transaction is a 23% premium,” they wrote in a note to investors Friday morning.
Importantly, they argued that, as a result, the low band spectrum owned by EchoStar’s Dish Network might be worth more than they had previously calculated. “If we apply the premium to lowband licenses, based on this new mark, Dish’s 600 MHz portfolio would be worth $16 billion, up from $12 billion currently,” they wrote.
The New Street analysts speculated that UScellular’s remaining spectrum holdings will eventually be sold.
“This spectrum transaction took longer than we expected, and it is for fewer of the licenses than we expected,” they wrote of UScellular’s new deal with Verizon. “The monetization of the remaining [UScellular] spectrum could take time, but it will all be sold eventually.”
They argued that UScellular’s remaining, unsold spectrum holdings – which stretch across lowband holdings like 700MHz as well as mid band spectrum like C-band – could be worth as much as $3.2 billion.
But the analysts cautioned that it can be difficult to extrapolate spectrum values from just one transaction alone. For example, the licenses involved in the transaction between Verizon and UScellular are mostly located in smaller markets and therefore may not be directly comparable to spectrum licenses located in bigger cities. Further, most of the spectrum involved in the deal is low band, and so values might be different for large chunks of mid band spectrum.
References:
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/how-verizon-s-1b-uscellular-spectrum-deal-affects-echostar-s-dish
T-Mobile to acquire UScellular’s wireless operations in $4.4 billion deal
UScellular adds NetCloud from Cradlepoint to its 5G private network offerings; Buyout coming soon?
Betacom and UScellular Introduce 1st Private/Public Hybrid 5G Network
UScellular’s Home Internet/FWA now has >100K customers
UScellular Launches 5G Mid-Band Network in parts of 10 states
Sharing of lower 3 GHz band in U.S. is unclear after DoD redacted report
The U.S. wireless industry would like to use the lower 3 GHz band, but it’s currently occupied by the military. The DoD says sharing between federal and commercial systems is not feasible unless certain conditions are met. Sharing between federal radar and mobile systems presents unique challenges, especially for airborne operations.
The DoD acknowledges the potential of freeing up some of the spectrum for 5G use, emphasizing that in order to make the lower 3 GHz band available for commercial use a “coordination framework must facilitate spectrum sharing in the time, frequency, and geography domains,” notes Broadband Breakfast.
5G already coexists with U.S. military systems in the lower 3 GHz band in more than 30 countries, said Umair Javed, CTIA senior vice president-spectrum. However, the future of the lower 3 GHz band in the U.S. is unsettled following DoD’s public release last week of a redacted version of its Emerging Mid-Band Radar Spectrum Sharing Feasibility Assessment [1.].
Note 1. Emerging Mid-Band Radar Spectrum Sharing Feasibility Assessment report
This redacted DoD report examines military systems located in lower 3 GHz spectrum, with an eye on potential sharing but not on clearing as sought by CTIA and carriers. It concludes that sharing the 3.1-3.45 GHz band between federal and commercial systems is not currently feasible “unless certain regulatory, technological, and resourcing conditions are proven and implemented.” The report originally came out in September 2023.
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DoD Chief Information Officer John Sherman said in February the department is willing to consider clearing part of the band “perhaps for future airborne radars,” which wasn’t part of EMBRSS. The spectrum is home to the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), which DOD is upgrading. Airborne radars are considered the most difficult to address in a sharing regime because they are so mobile.
The lower 3 GHz is one of a few bands allowing for military radars “with small enough antenna apertures” to be mobile, with “sufficient range capabilities to serve as medium and long-range radars,” the study says. It notes the propagation characteristics of mid-band spectrum, which also make it a top target of carriers. “A complicating factor … has been the increased packing of federal systems relocated from other bands, including those as a result of repurposing from previous auctions,” the study says.
DoD found that more than 120 different ground-based, ship-borne and airborne radars use the band. While details are redacted, the report offers basic information on how the bands are used, for everything from land-based radar for tracking threats to Coast Guard and Navy search and rescue missions to air-traffic control to tracking bird migrations with an eye toward avoiding collisions. It also discusses the Department of Homeland Security’s uses.
But EMBRSS says sharing is possible using a dynamic spectrum management system (DSMS). It cites sharing in the citizens broadband radio service band. A DSMS, which “evolves the CBRS framework … with advanced interference mitigation features” addressing the unique needs of airborne systems, “provides a feasible path forward for spectrum sharing between the Federal and commercial systems,” EMBRSS said.
Blair Levin wrote Wednesday in a note to New Street clients.:
“The report’s most significant implications for investors involve what the DOD report did not do. It did not resolve any issues or provide a timetable for doing so. Thus, we remain far from resolving the question of where the spectrum that the wireless carriers argue they will need by 2027 will come from. While some advocate exclusive licensing of the band, and others sharing, DOD “almost certainly retains a veto power over any potential outcome,” he said.
DoD leaders, including John Sherman, the Pentagon’s top IT official, met Monday with the National Spectrum Consortium, a group of more than 350 members of academia and industry who work with the electromagnetic spectrum, to take the first steps to outline a framework to share the bandwidth with industry and to kickstart a discussion on a spectrum management program.
“No surprise. We know that spectrum will be challenging,” said Kevin Mulvihill, the Pentagon’s deputy chief information officer for command, control and communications. “But we need to work together across industry, government and academia to explore potential ways to achieve spectrum coexistence for the benefit of the entire nation while ensuring that the spectrum sharing that we choose does not negatively affect the primary mission of the Department of Defense.”
References:
https://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Library/DoD-EMBRSS-FeasabilityAssessmentRedacted.pdf
https://www.fierce-network.com/5g/dod-releases-long-awaited-report-lower-3-ghz
If the Pentagon has to share 5G spectrum, it wants some new ground rules – Breaking Defense
mmWave Coalition on the need for very high frequency spectrum; DSA on dynamic spectrum sharing in response to NSF RFI
According to the mmWave Coalition, most 5G and 6G discussions to date are focused on lower frequencies. “A key reason for this is that it is hard to justify a business case for sub-THZ mobile spectrum use at present as there are now basic technical questions, technological hurdles, and cost issues, yet these are fertile and active areas of research which may eventually lead to compelling opportunities for mobile use in this spectrum.”
Policymakers shouldn’t forget the potential of very high frequency spectrum [1.], the Coalition said last week in response to the National Science Foundation’s request for information (RFI) on the national spectrum research and development plan, which is part of the U.S. national spectrum strategy. The Coalition wrote:
“5G and 6G in US policy deliberations addresses both fixed and mobile users, and the 5G and 6G mobile uses are dependent on fronthaul and backhaul which are essentially fixed services. While these fixed links are often implemented in non-spectrum fiber optic links, there is a vast, growing need for wireless backhaul, especially in rural, underserved areas often where fixed wireless access is vital for rural households, and often backhaul requirements cannot always be implemented in fiber technology, due to installation urgency requirements, local terrain features that delay or block installation, cost, or short term requirements that make fiber optic installation uneconomical”
Note 1. ITU-R Report R M.2376 contains studies of frequency ranges (6-100 GHz) for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) technologies. It is envisioned that future IMT systems will need to support very high throughput data links to cope with the growth of the data traffic, new extremely bandwidth demanding use cases, as well as new capabilities of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). There has been academic and industry research and development ongoing related to suitability of mobile broadband systems in frequency bands above 92 GHz to enable services requiring tera-bit per second speeds. This has prompted researchers to consider the technical feasibility of higher frequency bands in IMT.
An ITU-R preliminary draft new report in progress provides information on the technical feasibility of IMT in bands between 92 GHz and 400 GHz. This draft report complements the studies carried in Report ITU-R M.2376.
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The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) said the RFI is on target in the areas it suggests for research. “Efficiency, dynamic spectrum access and management, automated interference mitigation, and coexistence modeling are all areas in which the DSA and our members have keen interest and extensive experience. We also fully support efforts to study the economic-, market-, social-, and human-centric aspects of increasing spectrum access.”
DSA called on the NSF to take into account innovative licensing frameworks that are already working, including the citizens broadband radio service band and 6 GHz. “Given the historical success of the variety of spectrum sharing techniques in different bands designed to protect different incumbents … there is no one size fits all solution to spectrum sharing,” DSA said.
One term of interest is ‘‘Dynamic Spectrum Sharing’’ which is a focus of the National Spectrum Strategy but was not defined. The DSA defines Dynamic Spectrum Sharing as the use of both innovative licensing frameworks, such as those that enable opportunistic access, and automated dynamic spectrum management tools to coordinate spectrum assignments, increase spectrum efficiency, and expand spectrum access for a wide range of new users while also protecting incumbent operations.
Dynamic Spectrum Sharing between 4G and 5G Networks
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AT&T urged the administration to more clearly define the term dynamic spectrum sharing. The definition should include an “examination of full-power licensed use” and “development of a basis for predictable times and/or geographies in which dynamically shared spectrum can be used,” AT&T said.
The U.S. carrier urged more work on interference mitigation techniques and not restricting research to “mere ‘on/off’ spectrum access controls.” The definition should seek “to define co-channel and adjacent channel interference environments to incorporate into network design and operation.”
References:
https://communicationsdaily.com/article/view?search_id=838690&id=1914125
https://s3.amazonaws.com/warren-news.com/pdf/916759
https://dynamicspectrumalliance.org/2024/DSACommentstoNSFonSpectrumRnDPlanRFI.pdf
New ITU report in progress: Technical feasibility of IMT in bands above 100 GHz (92 GHz and 400 GHz)
ITU-R WP5D: Studies on technical feasibility of IMT in bands above 100 GHz
Telstra achieves 340 Mbps uplink over 5G SA; Deploys dynamic network slicing from Ericsson
Vodafone tests 5G Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) in its Dusseldorf lab
Keysight Technologies, Qualcomm extend 5G Collaboration to Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) Technology
Ericsson 5G data call using dynamic spectrum sharing with Qualcomm 5G Modem-RF System
Could Transpositional Modulation be used to solve the “spectrum crunch” problem
Transpositional Modulation (TM) permits a single carrier wave to simultaneously transmit two or more signals, unlike other modulation methods. It does this without destroying the integrity of the individual bit streams.
TM Technologies (TMT) is a wireless technology company offering dramatic data throughput increases for existing wireless and wired networks, using TM.
TMT’s In Band Full Duplex (IBFD) is a MIMO-compatible antenna and software technology providing signal interference cancellation via its Adaptive-Array Antenna which allows simultaneous transmit and Receive = Doubling Data Rates. TM-IBFD development has shown a combined 120 db noise reduction in two-way communications, which provides up to a 100% gain in wireless data transport efficiency.
TMT believes that the use of its patented methods can prevent or delay the onset of a wireless “bandwidth crunch” and focuses on developing products for a range of applications. These products will use core technology to provide solutions and create value for customers, the economy, and the global wireless infrastructure. The company says that the TM-IBFD is backwards compatible and complimentary with existing beam forming or beam shaping installations.
Image Courtesy of TM Technologies (TMT)
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Using the latest Xilinx RFSoC devices, TMT has produced a Software Defined Radio (SDR) format with OFDM as primary modulation with multiple TM channel overlays. This is applicable to nearly any access or backhaul radio device with adequate head-space and operating within the 3GPP Rel 16 specifications.
Industry analyst Jeff Kagan wrote: “Spectrum shortage remains a problem that is not going to solve itself. That’s why new solutions like this are necessary….In the case of solving this spectrum crisis, there are two different groups to focus on. One, is the wireless carriers. Two, are wireless network builders. Either, the customer, which is the wireless network needs to demand this from their network builders. Or the network builders need to embrace this as a competitive advantage and as a solution to their customers.”
Jeff Kagan
References:
Kagan: Could TM Technologies help solve wireless spectrum shortage?
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
U.S. Launches National Spectrum Strategy and Industry Reacts
The U.S. Dept of Commerce has finally published a National Spectrum Strategy that could pave the way for 2,786MHz of frequencies to be repurposed for new use. That is nearly double NTIA’s initial target of 1,500 megahertz.
The frequencies in question, across five bands, will be studied for potential new uses, and the study could go either way. The next step will see the Biden-Harris administration develop and publish an Implementation Plan.
The spectrum target includes more than 1,600 megahertz of midband spectrum – a frequency range in high demand by the wireless industry for next-generation services.
As required by the Presidential Memorandum titled Modernizing United States Spectrum Policy and Establishing a National Spectrum Strategy, the Secretary of Commerce, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), prepared this National Spectrum Strategy to both promote private-sector innovation and further the missions of federal departments and agencies, submitting it to the President through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The Strategy reflects collaboration with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), recognizing the FCC’s unique responsibilities with respect to non-Federal uses of spectrum, and coordination with other Federal departments and agencies (referred to collectively here as “agencies”).
The NTIA will study the following bands in the next two years, noting that the spectrum could support a range of uses, including mobile broadband (IMT), drones and satellite operations:
- 3.1 GHz-3.45 GHz
- 5.03 GHz-5.091 GHz
- 7.125 GHz-8.4 GHz
- 18.1 GHz-18.6 GHz
- 37.0 GHz-37.6 GHz
Note that for terrestrial IMT (3G, 4G, 5G), the only one of the above frequencies approved by ITU-R Radio Regulations in ITU-R M.1036 is 3.3 GHz-to-3.7 GHz frequency range. Please refer to my Comment in the box below this post.
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The goals of the Spectrum Strategy are to: drive technological innovation (including innovative spectrum sharing technologies); boost U.S. industrial competitiveness; protect the security of the American people; foster scientific advancements; promote digital equity and inclusion; and maintain U.S. leadership in global markets for wireless equipment and services, as well as innovative spectrum-sharing technologies. Dynamic spectrum sharing will be part of the plan.
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Industry Reactions to the Strategy:
“It is a critical first step, and we fully support their goal of making the 7/8 GHz band available for 5G wireless broadband and their decision to re-study all options for future full-power commercial access to the lower 3 GHz band,” said Meredith Attwell Baker, president and CEO of industry body the CTIA. “In order to meet growing consumer demand for 5G, close America’s widening 5G spectrum deficit and counter China’s global ambitions, America’s wireless networks need 1500 MHz of additional full power, licensed spectrum within the next ten years. Failure to make this spectrum available risks America’s economic competitiveness and national security,” Attwell Baker added.
“The plan released today will secure our digital future by eliminating the structural problems that hold back U.S. wireless innovation,” added Harold Feld, senior vice president of consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge.
“For six years, the United States has lacked a comprehensive spectrum strategy,” he said. “This lack of a national plan has created increasing tensions between the FCC’s efforts to meet our ever-expanding need for wireless capacity and federal agencies trying to carry out vital missions from weather forecasting to national security. These tensions, in turn, have compromised our ability to develop new wireless technologies and undermined our ability to maintain global leadership.”
“We hope this reallocation will help correct the midband spectrum imbalance that currently prioritizes unlicensed and federal uses – a disparity that fails to meet Americans’ ever-accelerating demand for mobile connectivity and neglects licensed spectrum’s place as the foundation of our wireless ecosystem,” AT&T’s Rhonda Johnson, EVP of federal regulatory relations, said.
“We don’t think the events of today should be thought of as anyone scoring a touchdown, but rather, moving the ball from one’s own 20-yard line to the opponents’ 40,” summarized the financial analysts at New Street Research in a note to investors Monday.
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Light Reading’s Mike Dano had 5 takeaways from NTIA’s Spectrum plan:
1. It’s evolutionary, not revolutionary.
2. It’s pretty boring.
3. It makes no clear decision on the lower 3GHz band.
4. Sharing, and other spectrum management technologies, are encouraged.
5. 6G is mentioned, but only obliquely.
References:
https://www.ntia.gov/issues/national-spectrum-strategy
https://telecoms.com/524821/us-spectrum-plan-eases-frequency-frustrations-to-an-extent/
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/five-takeaways-from-biden-s-new-national-spectrum-strategy
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/information/Pages/emergency-bands.aspx
Highlights of FCC Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on radio spectrum usage & how AI might be used
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is requesting input from the public on new technological approaches to assessing “real-time, non-Federal (government) spectrum usage, so that it has better insights into current technologies that might help the agency to manage spectrum and identify opportunities for spectrum sharing—including how artificial intelligence (AI) might be used.
This FCC Notice of Inquiry (NOI) was approved by all four members of the Commission. It states:
“Spectrum usage information is generally non-public and made available infrequently. As the radiofrequency (RF) environment grows more congested, however, we anticipate a greater need to consider such data to improve spectrum management. That is especially true as the burgeoning growth of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) offer revolutionary insights into large and complex datasets. Leveraging today’s tools to understand tomorrow’s commercial spectrum usage can help identify new opportunities to facilitate more efficient spectrum use, including
new spectrum sharing techniques and approaches to enable co-existence among users and services.”
Spectrum usage has been defined in various ways. In one technical paper, for instance, NTIA and NIST defined “band occupancy” as “the percentage of frequencies or channels in the band with a detected signal level that exceeds a default or user-defined threshold.”
“Right now, so many of our commercial spectrum bands are growing crowded,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Hundreds of millions of wireless connections—from smartphones to medical sensors—are using this invisible infrastructure. And that number is growing fast. But congestion can make it harder to make room in our skies for new technologies and new services. Yet we have to find a way, because no one wants innovation to grind to a halt. To do this we need smarter policies, like efforts that facilitate more efficient use of this scarce resource. … Now enter AI. A large wireless provider’s network can generate several million performance measurements every minute. Using those measurements, machine learning can provide insights that help better understand network usage, support greater spectrum efficiency, and improve resiliency by making it possible to heal networks on their own.”
“[This] inquiry is a way to understand this kind of potential and help ensure it develops here in the United States first. “I believe we can do more to increase our understanding of spectrum utilization and support the development of AI tools in wireless networks,” she added.
Rosenworcel noted that some pioneering work on dynamic, cognitive radios was kick-started with the Defense Advanced Research Project’s three-year Spectrum Collaboration Challenge, which sought to develop software-defined radios’ capability to dynamically detect other spectrum users and work around them in a congested radio frequency environment.
The FCC pointed out in a statement that it generally doesn’t collect information on spectrum usage, and instead relies on intermittent data from third-party sources.
“As the radiofrequency environment becomes more congested, leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence to understand spectrum usage and draw insights from large and complex datasets can help facilitate more efficient spectrum use, including new spectrum sharing techniques and approaches to enable co-existence among users and services,” the agency said, adding that the inquiry will explore the “feasibility, benefits, and limitations” of various ways to understand non-federal spectrum usage, as well as band- or service-specific considerations and various technical, practical or legal aspects that should be considered.
References:
https://www.fcc.gov/document/spectrum-usage-noi
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-23-63A1.pdf
