6GHz identified as key resource for 5G mobile broadband: MWC 2022

At the ongoing MWC Barcelona, there was an industry session held on 6GHz IMT for 5G.

6GHz can complement 3.5GHz

Giving the industry view, Jan-Hendrik Jochum, VP Spectrum Policy & Projects, Deutsche Telekom, said there are digitization targets and European investment challenge. EU Commission has said all populated areas should be covered by 5G. We have seen EU 5G investment gap. 6GHz is a key resource for 5G mobile broadband.

Customer data demand will increase greatly by 2025 and beyond. Additional mid-band spectrum is necessary. Mid-band spectrum is needed for macro-cellular 5G deployments. Upper 6GHz is the only possible resource. 6GHz can complement 3.5GHz. If we do not allocate, EU could fall behind USA and China. Mobile operators may not be able to provide required outdoor capacity and network quality.

Roberto Rodriguez, Head of Spectrum Strategy, Telefonica, noted how 6GHz holds the key for ensuring digital society future. Telefonica has network deployments in 12 countries, with fixed and mobile operations. In LATAM countries and Europe, mobile services are quite advanced. In LATAM. fixed broadband penetration is limited in many countries. 60GHz band will be available later for further Wi-Fi capacity.

For mobile, 6GHz spectrum is the only foreseeable opportunity to ensure the continued support of 5G services quality in the mid-term. Mobile traffic demand doubles every two years. Innovative services like AR/VR would add to growth in future, with 5G. Telefonica urges admins to ensure the upper band (6425-7125MHz) to be made available.

Dr. Ulrich Dropmann

Dr. Ulrich Dropmann, Head of Standardization and the Industry Environment, Nokia, spoke about how 6GHz is fueling the 5G-Advanced world. 6GHz and 5G-Advanced are the growth engines of second half of this decade. 2GHz of mid-bands are needed for 5G and 5G-Advanced.

Products should be out in 2025, with standards in place by 2023/24. There is global support for 6425-7125MHz. Co-existence with satellite/fixed links should also be finalized in the ITU by 12/22. There is good protection margin as well.

Panel discussion

The last part of the event featured a panel discussion.

Ms. Heidi Himmanen, Chief Adviser, Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom, Finland), noted that work is currently ongoing. We support the upper bands in 6GHz, as they could play a key role in 5G and introduction of 6G.

Daniel Obam, CEO, National Communications Secretariat (Kenya), said that they are supporting 6GHz. They need a band that can deliver IMT services. The approach for IMT spectrum has been balanced. We have identified the 6GHz band. We need to have balanced approach for fixed satellite services (FSS), as well. In Africa, studies are going on currently.

As an operator in 21 countries, how can 6GHz contribute to future networks and network densification? Santiago Tenorio, Fellow and Network Architecture Director, Vodafone, said we are a convergent operator. We are in next-generation broadband. It is very important to have a balanced approach. Densification in urban areas is today a myth. It is extremely challenging, and even small cells are not actively viable. We are seeing significant growth in traffic. New apps can accelerate that! 5G has role for pushing the innovation. Digitalization of society is also there, but mobility plays a role. We need a balanced approach with upper 6GHz bands.

Panel on 6GHz.

6GHz essential for nation-wide coverage

Talking about 6GHz, Xu Weizhong, Wireless Network Chief Strategy Officer, Huawei, said 5G is about digital transformation. New services will come in with metaverse. That will need greater speeds. Mid-band can bring value to customers. In future, we need to identify more mid-bands in China, Europe, etc. 6GHz can have same coverage, compared with 3.5GHz. We can have more capacity and lower costs. 6GHz is very essential for nation-wide coverage.

As for spectrum needs for Wi-Fi, we think spectrum is limited. 5G is more important for future digital transformation. We need to consider spectrum allocation, and see what value can be added to the society. Wi-Fi provides indoor capacity, and public, like airports and shopping malls. Most countries have 700MHz. We can already provide high speed and high capacity for Wi-Fi. Lower band means more coverage. In China, 5G has indoor coverage in airports.

Regarding the co-existence studies, Ms. Erika Tejedor, Director of Government and Industry Relations, Ericsson, said, one main concern is 5G will share spectrum with services. ITU has conducted primary services. One is satellite services. We can see more contributions. Wide-area city-wide deployments are also possible. There are primary services, such as satellite downlink, etc. Earth exploration is also very important. Today, services are being deployed. They need to work together. Radio astronomy is another national issue. We need to continue the process. Sharing of compatibility in the band is necessary for city-wide deployment.

Regarding 6GHz for Wi-Fi and cellular, Tim Frost, Wireless Technology and Standardization Expert, MediaTek, said that we can see both sides of the argument. Future spectrum should be allocated in general. For 6GHz, the lower part is given to unlicensed spectrum. They should support 5G services and urban areas. It is feasible to support licensed and unlicensed spectrum in the same device. There are also different regional needs. Devices today support these aspects. 6GHz is technically feasible.