According to foreign media reports, the European Commission has decided to expand the range of frequency bands that can be used for 5G applications. Still, radio frequency allocation remains a sensitive topic because of the conflict of interest between previous generations of mobile networks and new bands.
With this decision, EU officials want to ensure that the same frequency bands are used across the EU, expanding the 5G radio spectrum beyond so-called "innovative bands." The radio bands involved are 900MHz and 1800MHz, which are already used in 2G, 3G and 4G networks.
"Some EU countries have already begun to expand the range of spectrum available for 5G. The European Commission's binding decisions are important for technology neutrality. ICT legal expert Innocenzo Genna said.
According to the EU's 5G Action Plan, all major urban areas will achieve 5G network coverage by 2025, but this means that as more devices are connected to 5G networks, more radio capacity is needed. Therefore, either the bands already in use need to be reallocated or new ones need to be made available.
2G/3G phase-out
Gérard Pogorel, who has served as an adviser on ICT matters for several European governments, argues that the harmonization of the 5G band raises the issue of coordinating the phase-out of older generation networks.
In many markets around the world, major mobile operators are obsolete 3G networks. In the United States, for example, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are all in the process of 3G network obsolescence. In contrast, in the European market, 2G and 3G networks are still in use, although there are some individual phase-out cases like Telecom Italia.
Gérard Pogorel noted: "The simultaneous decommissioning of 2G and 3G in the EU is a major event. "Service disruptions may occur during transit.
The European Association of Telecom Network Operators (ETNO) estimates that 4G covers 99.5% of Europe's population.
However, some industries are still relying on 2G in some businesses and resist network obsolescence. A typical example is the automotive industry, an eCall call system that automatically needs help in the event of a serious accident. Natural disaster alerts also run on 2G networks.
"In the event that 2G/3G is eventually shut down, the spectrum could be reused for 4G and 5G technologies. There are two benefits to doing so: mobile network operators can reduce deployment costs and improve network quality. ETNO Communications Manager Gabriel Daia said.
In January, the European Court of Auditors released a special report highlighting the slow pace of spectrum allocation across the EU. As of October 2021, EU member states have allocated only 53% of the total 5G spectrum originally scheduled for use by the end of 2020.
This delay, combined with low investment, pandemic disruption and bans on Chinese suppliers, has led to a slow rollout of 5G networks. However, while 5G deployment is expected to pick up the pace, another battlefield has emerged.
Wi-Fi vs 5G
Zach Meyers, a senior fellow at the European Centre for Reform, believes the European Commission's decision on 5GHz is a "fruit at your fingertips". The real struggle is creeping in around 6GHz, a band that has so far not been touched by spectrum allocation.
"Governments in the EU and elsewhere in the world face the long-term challenge of how to allocate scarce spectrum. Research shows that as demand for Wi-Fi and 5G increases, both services face a shortage of available spectrum — meaning lower quality of service or higher cost. Zach Meyers said.
For mobile operators, the more frequency bands, the lower the cost of 5G rollout, which reduces mobile service tariffs. The reason is that if you reduce costs, consumers will prefer to use mobile data instead of Wi-Fi. For example, during the pandemic, mobile data consumption is increasing despite more people being trapped at home.
At the same time, mobile operators argue that reserving an unauthorized frequency for Wi-Fi could leave that spectrum unused in many regions, whereas 5G networks are designed to achieve almost ubiquitous coverage. Auctioning spectrum is also lucrative for the government.
In contrast, Wi-Fi tends to provide a more stable connection. With the IoT industry expected to boom in the coming years, demand is expected to surge, requiring more spectrum as Wi-Fi networks are already experiencing a state of interference in congested areas.
In this competition for the allocation of the 6GHz band, mobile operators are pushing for 5G, thereby expanding the telecom market. In contrast, tech companies are defending Wi-Fi because it faces a more regulated environment and they are better equipped to monetize their data.
"We urge the European Commission and member states to open up the remaining 6GHz band as soon as possible for license-free use of [WAS/RLAN] technologies such as Wi-Fi." Martha Suárez, president of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, said. Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are all members of the alliance. "This is crucial if the EU wants to avoid falling behind its global rivals."
Legal expert Genna believes that the European Commission is waiting for market forces to come into play before allocating the 6GHz band, because although 5G has better performance in terms of data latency, it is still an underdeveloped and fragmented market compared to Wi-Fi. (C114 Ace)