BELLEVUE, Wash., April 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 5G Americas, the industry trade association and voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas, announced today the publication of the 5G Americas Spectrum Recommendations for the U.S. white paper which provides guidance on licensed wireless spectrum and the necessary steps for the progression and deployment of 5G technologies in the United States.
“Licensed spectrum has been the raw material used to provide mobile and nomadic wireless services and fuel the smartphone revolution,” noted Chris Pearson, President, 5G Americas. “Now with the evolution to 5G technology, far greater spectrum resources need to be identified and allocated in the U.S.” Pearson continued, “5G Americas is committed to fostering continued innovation and leadership in the Americas region and that means providing concrete spectrum recommendations in the low-, mid- and high-bands to meet a wide variety of 5G applications and solutions.”
5G services are already in various stages of trials and deployment in the U.S. and are expected to cover a wide range of applications which in turn will drive a variety of deployment scenarios. The different physical characteristics of spectrum leads to some applications being more suitable for, and expected to be deployed in, certain spectrum ranges including low-band, mid-band, and high-band. In addition, each of these spectrum ranges has specific characteristics that make them more suitable for certain deployment scenarios: Low-band for large-area coverage; mid-band for urban deployment with increased capacity; and high-band for limited coverage and very high capacity. As a result, no single band can meet every 5G requirement and fulfil the promises of 5G.
5G spectrum plans in the U.S. have so far been mainly focused on the mmWave spectrum above 24 GHz. While mmWaves are helpful in providing large bandwidths necessary for eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), their fundamental propagation challenges prevent them from being an appropriate means for very large area coverage. The success of 5G greatly depends on 5G services availability everywhere, which requires spectrum identification and allocation of all types and ranges.
The 5G Americas eleven-page report offers specific recommendations to policymakers regarding licensed spectrum in the U.S. including:
- Spectrum below 3 GHz
- 3.1 to 3.55 GHz
- CBRS
- 3.7 – 24 GHz
- Spectrum above 24 GHz
- Above 95 GHz
The recommendations provided by 5G Americas are specific to the U.S. but with global ramifications. The importance of globally harmonized licensed spectrum is essential to the economies of scale for equipment and roaming. In an effort to extend the collaborative effort of the association, the 5th Global 5G Event, 5G New Horizons Wireless Symposium will be hosted on May 16-17, 2018 in Austin, Texas bringing together regulators, academics, operators and leading vendors as well as other associations from China, Japan, Korea, European Union, Brazil and Canada and the U.S. The public may attend the Symposium and hear from more than 50 global leaders on a variety of topics including the progress of 5G spectrum throughout the world.
The 5G Americas Spectrum Recommendations for the U.S. white paper was written by co-leaders Ahmad Armand and Scott Migaldi from T-Mobile USA as well as representatives from member companies on 5G Americas’ Board of Governors who participated in the development of this report. The white paper is available for free download.
About 5G Americas: The Voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas
5G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to advocate for and foster the advancement of 5G and the transformation of LTE networks throughout the Americas region. 5G Americas is invested in developing a connected wireless community for the many economic and social benefits this will bring to all those living in the region. 5G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. More information is available at www.5gamericas.org.
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5G Americas' Board of Governors members include: América Móvil, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, Cisco, CommScope, Entel, Ericsson, Intel, Kathrein, Mavenir, Nokia, Qualcomm Incorporated, Samsung, Shaw Communications Inc., Sprint, T-Mobile US, Inc., Telefónica and WOM.
Contact:
5G Americas
Vicki Livingston
Vicki.Livingston@5gamericas.org
+1 414 688 9000