It’s no secret that people are using their mobile phones and devices in more ways than ever — and more intensively. Unless more commercially viable spectrum is allocated to mobile, the industry will find it increasingly difficult to provide the quality of service and data rates that consumers expect, at an affordable price.
Mobile data traffic has overtaken voice traffic, and its growth is exponential, due to the spread of smartphones and new kinds of mobile devices. According to Cisco[1], global mobile data traffic will increase eighteenfold between 2011 and 2016, driven by nearly 19 billion mobile connections, faster broadband speeds and the ballooning appetite for mobile video. And, in countries where fixed-line penetration is low, mobile networks are the only way for most of the population to access the internet.
How much spectrum is needed?
To keep up with this growing demand, the industry will need more spectrum. If we don’t make provisions now for rising data demand, the mobile sector could be constrained for many years, given the time it takes to achieve international consensus on spectrum. The industry requires bands of reasonable size (100–200MHz) that are ideally near existing mobile bands or that offer potential for international harmonisation. Initial studies by the GSMA have shown a total need of around 1.8 GHz of spectrum for mobile by the year 2020.
Role of the ITU
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) holds its World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) every three to four years to review and, if necessary, revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. By establishing a global framework for the use of radio spectrum, the ITU minimises radio interference between countries by supporting the use of harmonised spectrum. The ITU also works to harmonise certain families of equipment standards to drive down equipment costs and facilitate international roaming.
Identifying additional bands for mobile broadband
The GSMA and its members are actively involved in the WRCs and the process of identifying spectrum for international mobile telecommunications (IMT), and this includes proposing new radio frequency bands for next-generation mobile broadband. The next WRC is scheduled for 2015, where reserving additional spectrum for IMT will be considered.
