Spectrum Above 24 GHz Ideal for Sharing, Experimentation, Google Says
Google expressed enthusiasm about the future of spectrum above 24 GHz, especially for unlicensed use and experimentation. Carriers were more circumspect, saying it likely will be of only limited use and not a substitute for lower band spectrum because of its propagation characteristics. But fights loom over the extent to which the spectrum should be made available on an unlicensed basis or licensed for commercial use as favored by carriers. At its October meeting the FCC approved a notice of inquiry on new technology developments that could increase the viability of operations above 24 GHz (see 1410170048) . Comments were posted by the FCC Thursday and Friday.
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CTIA said use of the high-band spectrum appears increasingly viable, with some association members already deploying wireless backhaul there. The group acknowledged the spectrum is hardly ideal for commercial use -- it can be used to transmit over only short distances, and atmospheric absorption further restricts coverage. But Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna schemes and adaptive beam-forming “may help overcome” some of the shortfalls, CTIA said.
“Bands above 24 GHz will not be capable of supporting a seamless wireless experience for consumers alone,” CTIA said. “Instead, spectrum bands above 24 GHz are best suited to serve as supplementary channels for delivering ultra-high data rates and expanding capacity in densely populated areas.” The high-band spectrum could have particular usefulness in densely populated areas where it would supplement other spectrum, the group said. Nonetheless, CTIA laid down a marker on how the spectrum should be regulated, recommending primarily licensed use. “Exclusive use licensing has proven to attract investment in mobile broadband while also sparking wide-spread innovation,” the group said. “Where spectrum is not easily used for mobile wireless services, it could be made available on an unlicensed basis.”
Big hurdles must be overcome before spectrum above 24 GHz sees widespread commercial use, Verizon said. “Technological breakthroughs and major investments will be necessary before these frequencies are commercially viable.” Verizon said given the many unknowns, the FCC should avoid making determinations now, “even preliminary ones,” about how the spectrum should be regulated. As the FCC notes in the NOI, Verizon said, the high-band spectrum isn't a substitute for making more low-band spectrum available for broadband.
T-Mobile said the high-band spectrum is “attractive” for addressing coverage issues in congested areas, supporting other more traditional bands. Poor propagation characteristics means the spectrum could provide coverage over only small areas, T-Mobile said. “That means that this spectrum is best used to address capacity issues in specific urban and suburban areas for mobile services. Such a solution would be deployed and used similar to a ‘hot spot,’ providing greater network capacity to mobile users in dense, high traffic areas.”
Google said the high-band spectrum can be used in a way that builds on the commission’s existing use of dynamic-spectrum access to improve spectrum utilization. Sharing already is working in the TV white spaces, Google notes. “Commercial deployments in the white spaces spectrum power Wi-Fi for college campuses, bring broadband to public spaces, and enable smart-city applications like energy consumption monitoring, water quality monitoring, and traffic management,” the company said. “Trials are exploring how the technology can be used in disaster relief situations.”
The spectrum may be ideally suited to evolving ways of deploying broadband, for example broadband access via airborne platforms including high-altitude balloons or unmanned aerial vehicles, Google said. “The bands are also likely to be useful for the continued development of new terrestrial technologies,” the company said. “For instance, some machine-to-machine applications will rely on this band for backhaul, hub-to-device, or device-to-device communications.”
Intel said an International Telecommunications Union working group is studying the technical feasibility of bands above 6 GHz. “Ruling out any viable options at this early stage of the investigation into >24 GHz bands would not be prudent,” Intel said. The company said the World Radiocommunication Conference set for 2019 is slated to take up the issue and the ITU radiocommunication sector working group will be determining “candidate mm wave bands in the 2016-2017 timeframe.” “There are technology development, cost, and scale benefits to global harmonization, and the Commission’s expeditious consideration, analysis, and conclusions on bands above 24 GHz could influence the harmonization process and the outcomes of the ITU-R and WRC-19 processes,” Intel said.