Read about the latest developments in spectrum policy and 5G regulations
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Follow along as IEEE Spectrum summarizes the most interesting news and developments related to 5G policy through the 5G Tech Tracker.
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T-Mobile is Serious About 600 MHz
11 January 2018
In a letter to U.S. regulators, T-Mobile pledged to offer mobile 5G [pdf] at 600 MHz by 2020, and said its current 600 MHz LTE network is already up and running in 586 towns and cities. The company also plans to launch “more than a dozen” new smartphones this year that will support 600 MHz service. And the letter highlighted T-Mobile’s investments to expand its network to reach more people with LTE service. Its total coverage area now encompasses 322 million people (up from 315 million in 2017).
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T-Mobile Asks FCC to Modify Antenna Rules
18 January 2018
T-Mobile is considering using millimeter waves in the E-band (70 GHz to 80 GHz) to provide backhaul for 5G service in cities. Operating in that band means installing a bunch of new antennas. With that in mind, the company asked U.S. regulators [PDF] to relax their antenna requirements. Specifically, the company says “antenna physics” prevent it from using the types of antennas (flat, small, discreet) that landlords and zoning boards prefer. T-Mobile has tested the FibeAir IP-20E by Ceragon Networks, a flat-panel antenna that can attach to streetlights or poles.
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America Movil to Bid for 5G Spectrum
9 February 2018
Mexico’s largest wireless provider will be allowed to bid on new spectrum in an upcoming auction, the nation’s telecommunications regulator said. The auction will distribute 120 MHz of spectrum from the 2.5 GHz band, which carriers intend to use for 5G as well as expanded 4G LTE service and new Internet of Things networks. Competitors including AT&T had lobbied regulators to ban America Movil from the auction, since the company recently purchased spectrum in that same band. A government official told Reuters
the agency would place caps on companies’ bids based on how much spectrum they already held. -
Vodafone Bids in U.K. Spectrum Auction
20 March 2018
Vodafone is one of six companies that will soon begin bidding on available 5G spectrum in the U.K., in an auction held by the regulator Ofcom that kicked off today. The spectrum that’s up for grabs includes 150 megahertz in the 3.4 GHz band, and 40 megahertz in the 2.3 GHz band. There aren’t many devices that support service at 3.4 GHz today, but that could change if carriers start to use it for 5G. Ofcom has placed a cap on how much spectrum Vodafone can purchase, though, since the company already holds 29 percent of the U.K.’s mobile spectrum.
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AT&T Pleased With FCC’s New Base Station Rules
22 March 2018
AT&T issued a statement thanking the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for excusing small cells (tiny base stations that serve smaller areas than cell towers) from undergoing mandatory federal environmental and impact reviews. AT&T and other companies had lobbied the regulator to relax its requirements, arguing that small cells shouldn’t be treated the same way as traditional cell towers. Opponents expressed concerns about putting up more pieces of equipment in communities, including the potential long-term health effects of living near these sites. Small cells will still be subject to local reviews by cities and towns.
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America Movil Shuns New National Mobile Network
22 March 2018
Mexico recently rolled out an ambitious national 4G network—which would presumably also support 5G someday—to save individual carriers the hassle of building their own, and to expand service to rural areas. However, America Movil’s CEO said on a recent earnings call that the company doesn’t intend to use it, preferring to stick to its own network. Just last month, a judge ruled that America Movil had to permit its competitors—including Telefonica and AT&T—to share its infrastructure. Ahead of 5G, these moves aim to increase competition within Mexico’s telecom sector, where America Movil currently serves two-thirds of mobile phone subscribers.
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Verizon Eyes 3.5 GHz Band
23 March 2018
Verizon has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for permission to conducts wireless tests in Florida in the 3.5 GHz band, known as Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). This band has been reserved by the U.S. government for a spectrum sharing experiment, which will allow federal, unlicensed, and licensed users to operate in that same band at the same time. Verizon’s application suggests the company is interested in making use of that spectrum for both indoor and outdoor applications. It won’t be alone, as T-Mobile recently asked to extend a license to test at 3.5 GHz in Las Vegas.
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China Mobile Scores FDD License
3 April 2018
China Mobile announced today that it has received a license from Chinese regulators to use frequency division duplex (FDD) for its 4G LTE network. That signifies a shift in strategy for the carrier ahead of 5G, as China Mobile has long preferred to use time division duplex (TDD), in which signals are transmitted in specific time slots rather than spread out over different frequencies. In a press release [pdf], the company said it would use the new scheme to expand mobile Internet of Things networks and expand high-speed service to rural areas.
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Verizon Wins Spectrum Tussle
3 April 2018
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has decided not to delay the transfer of valuable millimeter wave licenses to Verizon from Straight Path Communications, a startup that Verizon acquired in 2017. A request for the delay was filed with the agency by regional carriers who said giving Verizon so much premium spectrum would effectively shut them out of 5G markets. Last year, Verizon and AT&T engaged in a dramatic bidding war for Straight Path, which held licenses at 39 GHz and 28 GHz. Recently, Straight Path and Verizon paid the FCC $614 million to settle an investigation into whether the companies had failed to meet requirements to put that spectrum to use in a timely manner.
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Verizon Eyes 3.5 GHz Band
5 April 2018
Vodafone and its competitors spent big on spectrum in a recent U.K. auction that focused on frequencies favored for 5G. Vodafone walked away with 50 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.4 GHz band, for which it paid a cool £378 million. That was the biggest purchase of the day. Ofcom, the British regulator, has said that 3.4 GHz will likely be used by telecos for 5G service.
Source: IEEE Spectrum Telecom Channel