The 4G and 5G Spectrum

Guide 2017

Patrick Gahan, Kane Mumford, Dugie Standeford,

Martin Sims, Catherine Viola and Dr Jonathan Watson

October 2017
The Mobile Spectrum Handbook 2017

Table of contents
Executive summary ........................................................................... 4
Current and proposed 4G bands ................................................................. 4
5G bands ..................................................................................................... 4
Vendors ....................................................................................................... 5
Operators ..................................................................................................... 6
Software companies .................................................................................... 6
Policy in the leading economies .................................................................. 6

Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................. 8

Aims ............................................................................................................. 8
The structure of the document ..................................................................... 8
The context for this report ............................................................................ 9

Chapter 2: Current mobile bands and proposed 4G bands .... 13

Overview .................................................................................................... 13
450 MHz .................................................................................................... 17
600 MHz .................................................................................................... 20
700 MHz .................................................................................................... 22
800 MHz .................................................................................................... 27
850 MHz .................................................................................................... 31
900 MHz .................................................................................................... 34
L-band ........................................................................................................ 37
1800 MHz .................................................................................................. 39
2 GHz ......................................................................................................... 42
2.6 GHz ...................................................................................................... 49
3.5 GHz ...................................................................................................... 51
5.1-5.9 GHz ............................................................................................... 55

Chapter 3: Proposed 5G bands .................................................. 57

Overview .................................................................................................... 57
3-6 GHz...................................................................................................... 60
6-10 GHz ................................................................................................... 62
10-20 GHz ................................................................................................. 63
20-30 GHz ................................................................................................. 65
30-40 GHz ................................................................................................. 67
40-50 GHz ................................................................................................. 69
50-60 GHz ................................................................................................. 71
60-70 GHz ................................................................................................. 72
70-80 GHz ................................................................................................. 73
80-90 GHz ................................................................................................. 74

Chapter 4: Vendors’ views ......................................................... 75

Overview .................................................................................................... 75
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. ................................................................... 79
Samsung Electronics ................................................................................. 82
Nokia .......................................................................................................... 85
Cisco .......................................................................................................... 88
Ericsson ..................................................................................................... 90
Intel ............................................................................................................ 94
ZTE ............................................................................................................ 96
Huawei Technologies ................................................................................ 98

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Fujitsu ...................................................................................................... 100

Chapter 5: Operators’ perspectives ........................................ 102

Overview .................................................................................................. 102
Deutsche Telekom Group ........................................................................ 104
Telefónica Group ..................................................................................... 107
Vodafone Group ...................................................................................... 110
SoftBank Group ....................................................................................... 112
China Mobile ............................................................................................ 115
Orange Group .......................................................................................... 117
AT&T ........................................................................................................ 120
Verizon Wireless ...................................................................................... 123

Chapter 6: Software companies ............................................... 126

Overview .................................................................................................. 126
Google ..................................................................................................... 128
Facebook ................................................................................................. 130
Microsoft .................................................................................................. 132

Chapter 7: Policy in the leading economies ........................... 134

Overview .................................................................................................. 134
China ....................................................................................................... 135
India ......................................................................................................... 139
United States ........................................................................................... 142
Brazil ........................................................................................................ 146
Japan ....................................................................................................... 150
Germany .................................................................................................. 154
France ...................................................................................................... 158
United Kingdom ....................................................................................... 162
Italy .......................................................................................................... 165
Canada .................................................................................................... 168
Spain ........................................................................................................ 171
Poland ...................................................................................................... 175

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450 MHz
One of the least popular mobile bands, this is still widely used Mainstream consumer
for CDMA, although a shift to LTE is underway. Powerful industry
devices do not support 450
interests would like to see 450 MHz more widely used,
particularly for rural broadband and IoT. MHz and are unlikely to do
so any time soon

Figure 6) 450 MHz: deployment by region

Back in the early 1980s 450 MHz

was one of the first bands to be Uplink starts 450.6
used for mobile, principally in the Uplink ends 457.6
Nordic countries, but it never Downlink starts 460.6
became as popular as 900 MHz or Downlink ends 467.6
850 MHz. In recent years it has E-UTRA band number 31
primarily been used for CDMA
services in Scandinavia, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil and Argentina. (See map
below).
However, 450 MHz is a standardised LTE band and as CDMA has declined,
operators have refarmed their 450 MHz licences to LTE. This trend has
continued through 2017 with Indonesian operator STI becoming one of the
latest operators to switch from CDMA to LTE in the 450 MHz band.

The 450 MHz Alliance

Some big industry players would like to see greater use made of the band,
and they come together in the 450 MHz Alliance, which includes
vendors such as Huawei, Nokia and Qualcomm.

Huawei is one of the prime movers in the 450 MHz band, having (together
with industry partners) made it the standard of the 3GPP LTE band in 2013
and unveiled the LTE 450 chipset and terminal. Nokia has been making GSM
handsets for use in the band for many years and in 2015 it said it was
extending its “Flexi Base Station” radio product range to work in the band.
Qualcomm’s commercial 450 MHz chipset has been available since February
2014. The company has said that LTE in the band can provide the best
hosting for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, offering cost-
efficient coverage and low latency.

One smaller vendor producing a 450 MHz LTE chipset is Israel’s Altair.

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450 MHz can be used for internet access and proponents claim it offers
greater coverage, higher data rates (up to 25 Mbps downlink and 12.5 Mbps
uplink), lower latency and better performance than existing (mostly satellite)
rural broadband services. The radius of a 450 MHz cell is theoretically as
much as 50 km; it is estimated that it would take three 900 MHz cells or 24
2.6 GHz cells to achieve the same coverage.

The most significant 450 MHz broadband operator is AINMT Holdings AB,
which offers services in Norway, Denmark and Sweden under the ice.net and
Net 1 brands.

Upcoming auctions
Four auctions offering spectrum in the 450 MHz band are due to take place in
2017 and 2018 in Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Bangladesh.

The Polish auction offers a cautionary tale for the future of this band. On the
positive side three companies are said to be interested in bidding; on the
negative side the frequencies were returned by Orange Polska in early 2017
after it decided not to pay the renewal fee of USD 28m.

Powerful industry backers are creating momentum for the future development
of 450 MHz, such as a new band plan for Asia and growing support for IoT
chipsets. On the other hand, while there is reasonable support for 450 MHz
routers for internet access, remote metering and IoT applications, there are
only a handful of mobile handsets supporting the band. Until this changes, it
is difficult to see the band achieving the levels of usage seen in the more
popular LTE bands.

Figure 7) Map: use of 450 MHz in the major economies

Figure 8) Number of licences issued in 450 MHz

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Figure 9) When do 450 MHz licences expire?

Figure 10) How much 450 MHz spectrum do national

administrations allocate to mobile?

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3-6 GHz
WRC-15 did not identify 5G candidate bands in this range but the
technology is expected to be deployed in 3.5 GHz, which is being
backed in the US and Europe. An extended 5 GHz unlicensed
band may not be used for 5G directly but it will benefit the
increasingly heterogenous networks of the future. Bands to watch

Figure 73) Possible 5G bands in 3-6 GHz

Proposed by Sprint

"Primary 5G band" in Europe

Released in US

The 3-6 GHz range has prospects for 5G but these are largely in the 3.4-3.8
GHz range, with only Japan making any serious efforts above 4 GHz.

The group of European regulators which advises the European Commission

supports 3.4-3.8 GHz as Europe's "primary 5G band". A mobile identification
at 3.4-3.6 GHz was agreed by most countries at WRC-15, but the majority of
countries refused to extend this higher, choosing instead to protect satellite
operations in the 3.6-4.2 GHz range.

Japanese operators are testing frequencies around 4.5 GHz for use with 5G
services, although they unique in using this band. Mobile industry group the
GSMA has said its members would like to access frequencies up to 4.2 GHz
in Europe but this is unlikely given resistance from the satellite industry.

NTT Docomo and Nokia in 2015 tested licence assisted access (LAA) in the
5.47-5.725 GHz range and LTE interworking between mmWave and
cmWave technologies using Nokia's "Single RAN Advanced" hardware.
Extending the 5 GHz unlicensed band is also being studied at ITU level in
preparation for WRC-19, by Ofcom, the FCC and by CEPT.
3.5 GHz
The US has also taken measures to stimulate new and innovative usage of a
frequency range similar to 3.4-3.8 GHz. In September 2015 the FCC adopted
rules to allow commercial shared use of 150 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz
band (3550-3700 MHz). It uses a three-tiered regulatory approach, called
the Citizens Broadband Radio Service. Google and others are testing in this
range.

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2.6 GHz
The use of 2.6 GHz for 5G is an option being considered by US carrier
Sprint. Sprint, which owns more than 160 MHz in the top 100 U.S.
markets, has described it as "the low-band spectrum of 5G". In a
statement Sprint said it was looking to develop the capacity and coverage of
its 2.6 GHz TDD-LTE spectrum through multiple carrier aggregation; CoMP
(Co-ordinated Multi-Point) with coordinated beamforming; and massive
MIMO. The regulators in Thailand and Singapore also regard 2.6 GHz as a
potential 5G band.

There is general agreement across the mobile industry that 5G needs lower
frequency bands as well as the mmWave bands, a position put particularly
forcibly by Vodafone and AT&T.

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Ericsson
Ericsson sees C-band spectrum and 26 GHz/ 28 GHz as key
bands for early 5G deployments Short propagation distance
isn’t a negative, Wieweg
Ericsson is a multinational networking and telecommunications equipment
and services company, and is a major contributor to the development of new adds
mobile technologies and standards.
5G spectrum requirements
Spectrum from below 1 GHz right up to the millimetre waves (mmWaves) will
be needed for 5G, according to Lasse Wieweg, Director of Government and
Industry Relations at Ericsson.

For example, sub-1 GHz spectrum will be important for machine

communications for certain Internet of Things (IOT) applications. “For a
number of applications we need very good propagation characteristics and
coverage. This will be implemented in the existing mobile operator spectrum,
using technologies that we're incorporating in both the licensed and
unlicensed bands.”

Wieweg says the benefits of the frequencies around 3 GHz are that there can
be wide channel bandwidths of 100 MHz or more per operator, enabling
advanced antenna technologies such as massive MIMO and beamforming to
be implemented to substantially increase capacity or bit rates.

Meanwhile, the mmWave bands can provide hundreds of megahertz or even

gigahertz of spectrum, and will be used to deliver very high data rates and
capacity in city hot-spots and other high-density environments. The higher Everything will be useful,”
mmWave bands, such as 66-71 GHz, could be helpful for short-range indoor says Wieweg
communications.

“So it's a gradual change from very good coverage and not so high
bandwidth, going up to very high bandwidth but shorter coverage. Everything
will be useful,” says Wieweg.

Short propagation distance isn’t a negative, Wieweg adds. This characteristic

allows for tighter repetition and reuse of frequencies, so that for example
indoors the same spectrum can be reused several times on the same floor or
between floors.

5G spectrum priorities
Ericsson points out that some spectrum that has already been identified for
5G at WRC-12 or WRC-15 could potentially be used for 5G deployment,
including the 600 MHz and 700 MHz bands.

“We can also be looking for spectrum ahead of WRC-19,” says Wieweg.
“One of the key bands is the C-Band, but when it comes to the timing of
available spectrum for new usage by 5G ahead of WRC-19, 28 GHz is also a
key band.”

In Europe, the C-Band (3.4-3.8 GHz) has been identified by the Commission
as a 5G ‘pioneer band’. Ericsson expects to see 5G C-Band trials in 2018,
with initial deployments a year later and larger-scale roll-outs from 2020.

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Ericsson notes that there are regional variations in the C-Band frequencies
that are being considered for 5G, with some countries looking at 3.3-3.6 GHz Wieweg points out that it’s
or 3.4-3.7 GHz while the European range uniquely includes 3.8 GHz. Despite
these differences, Ericsson believes there is still sufficient harmonisation for not certain that it will be
equipment to become available in a timely fashion and for good ecosystems feasible to allocate all the
to develop. band in all countries

In the longer term, Ericsson thinks the C-Band ranges used for 5G could
extend all the way up to 4.2 GHz. Japan has already made its interest clear
and others may follow. If the interest gathers momentum, then the vendor
believes the whole 3.4-4.2 GHz range could be very important for Europe.
For early 5G deployments, Ericsson also identifies 28 GHz as a key band,
with progress ahead of developments in the C-Band. “We will see some 5G
pre-commercial, friendly-user deployments this year using fixed wireless
access (FWA) systems in the US,” says Wieweg.

In Europe, using the 28 GHz band for 5G is problematic, as it is used for

fixed services and reserved for satellite communications in some countries.
As a result, the region is instead working towards making the 26 GHz band
(24.25-27.5 GHz) for 5G deployment. CEPT is carrying out sharing studies to
understand which parts of the band could be used in future for mobile but
Wieweg points out that it’s not certain that it will be feasible to allocate all the
band in all countries. “That's a very important decision to take, preferably in
the not-so-distant future, to determine which part of that band can become
available in Europe.” He adds that the upper part of the band (26.5-27.5
GHz) is a key possibility, but it would be preferable to identify some additional
frequencies.

Wieweg adds that a few countries, including Sweden and the UK, have
indicated that they are willing to allow deployment in the lower end of the 28
GHz band, where there is a 1 GHz overlap with the upper 26 GHz band
(26.5-27.5 GHz).

Looking ahead to WRC-19, one of the priorities for Ericsson is the 26 GHz ...if there are large numbers
band. “Europe has stated it’ll go ahead before WRC, but there are other of FSS stations close to the
countries that would be interested in this band, so it needs to be studied major cities then the
carefully for WRC agenda item 1.13,” explains Wieweg.
sharing conditions could
Ericsson is also seeing interest from a number of countries and regions in become unattractive for
spectrum around 40 GHz, ranging from below 37.5 GHz to 43.5 GHz. The operators
availability within that frequency range depends on the region, but Ericsson
believes that sufficient harmonisation can be achieved. In the longer term,
Wieweg thinks that the 66-71 GHz range could be very interesting for short-
range communication.
Spectrum sharing
According to Ericsson, there is a question-mark over dynamic spectrum
sharing but static sharing in time or place is likely to be exploited to some
extent in the future.

Wieweg attributes the current market failure of Licence Shared Access (LSA,
a static sharing solution) to take off for the 2.3 GHz band in Europe not to any
technological shortcomings, but rather to the sharing conditions being
insufficiently attractive for operators. He points out that there has been more
progress in the US, where a three-tiered spectrum sharing regime is now

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being implemented for the 3.5 GHz CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio
Service) band.

Going forward, Wieweg believes that, for the C-Band, sharing between 5G …it’s important for
and fixed satellite service (FSS) may be feasible in some cases, for example regulators not to over-rely
if the earth stations are few in number and distant from urban areas. But if
there are large numbers of FSS stations close to the major cities, or power- on sharing as a spectrum
level restrictions on 5G are needed for co-existence, then the sharing management tool.
conditions could become unattractive for operators and slow 5G deployment.

According to Ericsson, it’s important for regulators not to over-rely on sharing

as a spectrum management tool. “We've noted that some regulators are
hoping for the technology to be able to adapt to national circumstances, so
that where there’s incumbent usage spread over the band, 5G should be able
to use the spectrum in between,” says Wieweg. Wide channel bandwidths
are vital for 5G, making it even more difficult than with previous generations
to squeeze in some usage between the incumbents. This aspect of the
technology also means that it’s crucial to have a sufficient amount of free
wide spectrum for 5G deployment.

Ericsson believes it's very important to achieve a proper defragmentation of

the C-Band and not just rely on LSA or a similar technology. “A major effort is
going to be needed, and we can see some countries like the UK and France
doing that right now and proposing a solution to clean up the spectrum to a
very large extent,” says Wieweg. “That takes effort and the money, but it will
be a necessary exercise in order to have the contiguous spectrum needed for
5G.”
Unlicensed bands
LTE-U, a technology which enables mobile operators to leverage licence-
exempt frequencies at 5 GHz for extra downlink capacity, is high on
Ericsson’s agenda.

The vendor supports a technology-neutral approach for the 5 GHz band, so

that there is a level playing field for all stakeholders, technologies and types
of usage. This includes allowing the market to decide the appropriate
technology for intelligent transport systems (ITS), which have stringent safety
and security requirements. Wieweg says this becoming the accepted point of This CEPT study item aims
view, and for example is embodied in the CEPT’s work item on identifying
to accelerate progress in
more spectrum for wireless access systems in the ranges above 5.9 GHz
(5.925-6.425 GHz). Europe in light of the
uncertainties over what can
This CEPT study item aims to accelerate progress in Europe in light of the
be achieved at WRC-19
uncertainties over what can be achieved at WRC-19 around 5 GHz.
Discussions on this agenda item were deferred from WRC-15, but according around 5 GHz
to Wieweg, it continues to be problematic to find a way to resolve the
interference issues for the incumbents. “That’s why in Europe we have this
additional study in CEPT for 5.925-6.425 GHz, as people do not expect the
success that we would have hoped for at WRC-19.”
Spectrum licensing
Ericsson expects to see similar forms of licensing for the 3-4 GHz
frequencies and up to the mmWaves as we have today. However, moving to
a situation where governments are auctioning hundreds of MHz or even GHz
of spectrum per operator, Wieweg thinks that regulators and finance
ministries will need to find new licensing models that focus more on bringing

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about societal benefits than on the monetisation of spectrum. He adds that

we also need to work out how best to make spectrum available to vertical
industries as they need it, for IOT applications and other commercial uses.

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Deutsche Telekom Group

Deutsche Telekom's new strategy is to become Europe's leading
T-Mobile said it will use
telecoms provider. Its spectrum priorities remain focused on,
among other things, spectrum for 5G, longer licence terms in its 600 MHz spectrum
Europe and more flexibility in spectrum use. Its US subsidiary, T- to strengthen its LTE
Mobile, won 45 per cent of the 600 MHz spectrum sold in the network and build the
incentive auction and is about to launch a new 600 MHz network. US's first nationwide

Deutsche Telekom operates in over 50 countries worldwide as a provider of 5G network.

fixed line services and as a mobile operator using the T-mobile brand. It also
offers broadband and Internet Protocol TV products and services for
consumers, and information and communication technology solutions for
business and corporate customers.

Figure 90) Deutsche Telekom's global spectrum licences

The darkest red shows the largest spectrum holdings

4G developments
According to its 2016 annual report, DT intends to further deploy its LTE
networks. It plans to cover around 95 percent of the German population with
LTE by 2018; and in its European national companies expects coverage to
reach between 75 and 95 per cent. DT wants to provide substantially more
Wi-Fi HotSpots in Germany and build an even denser mobile
communications network using high-performance small cells. Its US 4G/LTE
network covered around 314 million people at the end of 2016.

In 2017, DT is participating in spectrum auctions in Albania (800 MHz);

Greece (1800/2100 MHz); Macedonia (900/1800 MHz); Austria (3500/3700
MHz); Poland (3700 MHz); Slovakia (1800/3700 MHz); and Czech Republic
(900/1800 MHz and 3700 MHz) according to its interim group management
report for Q1 2017. T-Mobile US acquired 1,525 licenses for 600 MHz
spectrum in the incentive auction, and also agreed with an unnamed third
party to exchange spectrum licenses, a transaction expected to be completed
by year's end.

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T-Mobile said it will use its 600 MHz spectrum to strengthen its LTE network
and build the US's first nationwide 5G network. DT continues to press

Figure 91) for objective,

T-Mobile: licences won in the 2017 US 600 MHz auction transparent and non-
discriminatory
spectrum award
procedures

The carrier announced in February 2017 that it is rolling out LTE-U

technology in its LTE network, allowing customers "to tap into the first 20
MHz of underutilized unlicensed spectrum on the 5GHz band" for additional
LTE capacity.

In June 2017 T-Mobile announced the first live commercial test of license
assisted access. The field test, which began in Los Angeles, "showed blazing
741 Mbps download speeds using 80 MHz of aggregated spectrum" in the 5
GHz band.

DT is also a market leader in the use of narrowband IoT spectrum. In

February 2017 it rolled out a NB IoT network in eight European countries
using its 900MHz and 800MHz holdings.

Figure 92) Which bands does Deutsche Telekom use?

Based on the number of licences held in each band.

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5G spectrum position
DT's spectrum priorities haven't changed from last year, a spokesman said.
The operator remains focused on 5G use cases and the different spectrum The industry needs
needed to meet their requirements. DT continues to press for objective, "spectrum, spectrum
transparent and non-discriminatory spectrum award procedures, avoidance
of excessive spectrum fees, and timely, aligned award procedures. It also and more spectrum"…
wants longer license terms and more flexibility for spectrum uses.

The industry as a whole needs "spectrum, spectrum and more spectrum" for
the Internet of Things, DT CEO Timotheus Hottges said at Mobile World
Congress in March 2017. He urged European policymakers to "explore new
avenues" for spectrum policy, including allowing operators to buy spectrum
for the long term instead of have to lease it for limited periods.

T-Mobile took part in a June 2017 "Tech Week" meeting at the White House
which focused on 5G technology and paving the way for rapid deployment of
5G wireless networks, Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray blogged. There,
the company made the point that 5G will need spectrum in a range of bands,
not just mmWave. T-Mobile has asked the Federal Communications
Commission to rethink its
rules for the 3.5 GHz band,
which the provider said is
ideal to meet the mid-band
needs for 5G networks. T-
Mobile is also lobbying for
the FCC to make available
the 3700-4200 MHz band as
well as the 3.1-3.5 GHz
band for 5G.

5G developments
Ray unveiled T-Mobile's 5G
strategy in May, 2017.
Nationwide mobile 5G will
require both high-band and
broad low-band coverage,
and having unused
nationwide 600 MHz
spectrum "means T-Mobile
is in an ideal position to
deliver." The carrier expects
to deploy 5G in the 600 MHz
band quickly across its
existing macro network, in
contrast to other carriers'
mmWave plans, he said. T-
Mobile will also help drive
3GPP certification for 5G in
600 MHz. 5G rollout is
expected to start in 2019,
with a target of 2020 for full
national coverage.

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Chapter 6: Software companies

Overview
The better, cheaper
The economics of OTT
and more ubiquitous
Google, Microsoft and Facebook, whose approaches to spectrum policy are
the broadband
analyzed in this section, could also be described as “over the top” or OTT
players i.e. they profit by delivering services across the broadband internet connection the more
structures provided by traditional telecoms operators. They do not provide money OTT players
this infrastructure themselves. We know Google for its search facilities;
will make
Facebook for its social networking; and Microsoft is dependent on its cloud
services.

The better, cheaper and more ubiquitous the broadband connection the more
money OTT players will make. So when these companies support initiatives
which aim to “connect the last three billion” they are pursuing a humanitarian
objective, but they are also being driven by a business model where profits
come from its ability to scale effectively.

Like all businesses, these companies are looking for growth and the
previously unconnected in the developing world are a crucial new target
market. Facebook is particularly active in the area with its internet.org
initiative and Telecom Infra Project. Both Google and Facebook hope to
expand connectivity through the use of high altitude platforms (HAPS).

Cheap internet access is also crucial to the OTT model. The less customers
are paying and the less they worry about data usage, the more they will use
the internet and the more successful OTT players can be. Hence their
interest in free or very cheap spectrum which can also increase broadband
competition and drive down the prices of the traditional telecoms operators.
Unlicensed spectrum
In pursuit of their business models, Google, Facebook and Microsoft all
support making additional unlicensed spectrum available and protecting that
which already exists.

For example, in recent months Microsoft has urged the FCC to maintain
unlicensed access in 64-71 GHz band, ensure that three 6 MHz channels are
available for unlicensed use in 600 MHz after the incentive auction and
backed unlicensed use of the 5.9 GHz band.
Sharing
Sharing spectrum is another way of increasing competition in broadband
access and this is strongly backed by the OTT players. Google has been a
leading proponent of the CBRS sharing regime in 3.5 GHz in the US and has
urged other countries to adopt it. Also in the US both Microsoft and Facebook
are urging greater sharing in 37 GHz. In the long run Microsoft would like to
see sharing become the default approach for spectrum use.

Google and Microsoft have been enthusiastic supporters of spectrum sharing

in TV Whitespaces for over a decade but with the lack of commercial success

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has led them to turn their attentions to the use of similar database-driven
technologies in the CBRS regime.

All three companies are supportive of the Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA)
and are seeking new areas in which it can be used. This contrasts with
telecoms vendors, who generally prefer static sharing though mechanisms
such as LSA.
Interest in frequencies above 70 GHz
5G seeks to provide internet access in the mmWave bands and as the target
frequencies have crept higher and higher some researchers are expressing
interest in using bands about those currently licenced in the US, namely
beyond 95 GHz. Google and Facebook are both interested in this field and
have lobbied the FCC to create rules for the “next spectrum frontier”.

Both companies are also developing services in the 70/80 GHz band, some
for their HAPS.

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China
China's government and its three mobile network operators
(MNOs) are actively preparing for 5G. The MNOs expect to launch
commercial services by 2020.
Outlook China’s three MNOs
In June 2017, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) will invest a total of
launched a consultation on the possible use of millimetre wave (mmWave)
$411 billion in 5G
spectrum in the 24.75-27.5 GHz and 37-42.5 GHz ranges for 5G services.
technologies between
This consultation followed the launch of another one on plans to use
spectrum in the 3300-3600 MHz and 4800-5000 MHz ranges for 5G. The 2020 and 2030
regulator said the 3300-3400 MHz band would, in principle, be limited to
indoor use, though it could also be used outdoors where there is no
interference from radio stations. Similarly, the use of the 3400-3600 MHz
range is expected to clash with spectrum used for satellite earth stations.
Finally, the MIIT added that the 4800-5000 MHz range could also be
problematic for 5G, citing its January 2014 Frequency Allocation Policy,
which sets aside airwaves at 4825-4835 MHz, 4950-4990 MHz and 4990-
5000 MHz for radio astronomy. As a possible compromise, the regulator
suggested that the uppermost block (4990-5000 MHz) could be reserved for
this function, whilst the rest could be used for 5G.
A study published by the research arm of the MIIT has suggested that
China’s three MNOs will invest a total of 2.8 trillion Chinese yuan ($411
billion) in 5G technologies between 2020 and 2030, with annual spending
projected to peak at 313.3 billion yuan in 2023.
In June 2017, China’s IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group – a platform for the
promotion of 5G research and development, jointly led by the MIIT, the
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of
Science and Technology (MOST) – said it had finalised plans for a 30-site 5G
test field in the Huairou district of Beijing.
China Mobile, the largest operator in China and indeed the world, said in
March 2017 that it would launch large-scale pre-commercial 5G field trials in
2019, paving the way for a 2020 commercial launch. This followed an earlier
announcement that it would initially concentrate on using spectrum in sub-6
GHz bands, but would test higher frequency ranges after the first 18 months.
In 2017 the operator is building seven experimental base stations in four or
five cities, before expanding to 20 base stations in 2018, when it will begin
testing end-to-end commercial products and testing the pre-commercial
network. In 2019 the operator plans to ramp up the programme, expanding
the scale of the 5G trial network, with a view to deploying 10,000 5G base
stations by the end of 2020, paving the way for a commercial launch shortly
afterwards.
China Mobile's focus is on spectrum below 6 GHz, with the C band (3.4-4.2
GHz) a priority. In February 2017, the operator said it was conducting 5G
trials, based on 3GPP Release 15, with chip vendor Qualcomm and
equipment vendor ZTE in the 3.5 GHz band.
China Unicom said in its interim report for the first half of 2017 that it was
launching 5G "network field trials" in cities and jointly developing 5G
applications and solutions with its partners. China Mobile launched a 5G
"field experiment" in 2017 and said it would start the construction of mobile

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networking to speed up SDN and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to

bring the next generation of cloud network transformation to 346 cities in
China.
We expect a more
China Unicom and ZTE completed a field test of 5G New Radio (NR) gradual process for 5G
technology in July 2017, achieving peak download speeds of 2 Gbps. The
trial used a pre-commercial 5G base station using 100 MHz of bandwidth in investment, unlike the
the 3.5 GHz band, massive multiple-input, multiple-output (Massive MIMO), spike we’ve seen for
low-density parity check (LDPC) and other key 5G technologies.
4G
China Telecom plans to conduct commercial trials of 5G technology in 2019
and says it will carry out "network field trials" in six Chinese cities. "5G
standards are not yet finalised and its monetisation models are different from
2G and, 3G or 4G networks because it’s machine-centric rather than human-
centric," CEO and chairman Yan Jie said in August. "We expect a more
gradual process for 5G investment, unlike the spike we’ve seen for 4G."
China Telecom has also expanded its LTE network coverage to around 98
per cent of the population, having installed 310,000 new 4G base stations
using refarmed spectrum in the 800 MHz band.
Current position
China had more than 1.36 billion mobile subscribers at the end of the first
half of 2017, according to the MIIT.

China Mobile is the world’s largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers.

By the end of June 2017, it had over 866 million subscribers, 594 million of
whom were using 4G. China Mobile also holds more than half of the country's
licensed spectrum.

China Unicom and China Telecom are China’s other two major mobile
operators. The former had 269.5 million subscribers at the end of the June
2017, including 139 million of whom were using 4G, while the latter had 230
million, including 152 million 4G users. Both firms have significantly less
spectrum than China Mobile. (See all operators)
Figure 108) National mobile licence holders

Shows operators with sub-3 GHz mobile licences covering 40% of country or more.

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Background
210 MHz of LTE TDD spectrum is allocated in China:
§ 130 MHz for 326 cities in 1880-1900 MHz (band 39), 2320-2370 MHz We expect a more
(band 40), and 2575-2635 MHz (band 41) to China Mobile gradual process for 5G
§ 40 MHz for 55 cities comprising 2300-2320 MHz and 2555-2575
MHz to China Unicom investment, unlike the
§ 40 MHz for 42 cities comprising 2370-2390 MHz and 2635-2655 spike we’ve seen for
MHz to China Telecom. 4G

The MIIT awarded TDD LTE operating licences to China Mobile, China
Telecom and China Unicom in December 2013.

China Mobile launched TDD LTE in December 2013; China Telecom

followed suit in February 2014; and China Unicorn did the same in March
2014. All three are developing LTE-Advanced.

In February 2015, MIIT awarded FDD LTE commercial licences to China

Telecom and China Unicom. China Telecom received an additional 2 x
20 MHz band 3 licence along with permission to refarm 2 x 15 MHz of its
band 1 spectrum for FDD LTE, and China Unicom received an additional 2 x
10 MHz band 3 licence for FDD LTE. China Mobile has reportedly applied for
an FDD licence in support of its TDD LTE network and to
showcase convergence.

The Chinese government is also considering 1.4 GHz and 3.5 GHz spectrum
for TDD LTE assignment, as well as exploring the application of 50 GHz and
beyond to meet the future demands of mobile broadband.
As shown in the graph below China's enthusiasm for TDD is the most notable
feature of its spectrum policy.

Administrative approval is China's licensing method. Comparative selection

only started being used in 2001 and auctions have not been used yet.

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Figure 109) Spectrum allocated to current mobile services in

China

Entries for specific bands show the average amount of national spectrum allocated to a band if that band is used for
mobile in a particular country.

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