Radio Spectrum - Key issues

Radio Spectrum - Key issues

Overview

Access to the radio spectrum is a critical requirement for all sectors using wireless technologies, such as media, mobile communications, defence and civil aviation.



In the telecom sector, spectrum allocation decisions, spectrum standardization decisions and spectrum availability are decisive to both equipment vendors and operators.



For mobile network equipment vendors, spectrum frequency harmonization has a major impact on costs at the terminal and network levels. Furthermore new technologies can only be deployed once the regulators or spectrum agencies give the go ahead and once the frequency bands have been allocated.



At the same time, mobile network operators are experiencing major increase in mobile network traffic every year. Irruption of new services like video services and always-on internet connections represent real severance in network capacity requirements. Most recent estimations of future spectrum requirements by the ITU confirm this global trend for the future.



This year, the ITU will hold The World Radio Communication Conference. On this occasion ITU Radio regulations will be updated and the rules that will define the spectrum landscape for the years to come will be agreed on a global basis.



This report looks at how the perception of radio spectrum is evolving today and which players are best placed to seize significant shares of spectrum assets.





Radio Spectrum in brief

• Major break points in the spectrum field

• Spectrum pricing

• Developments in spectrum regulation

• Impact of analogue switch-off

• Technology breakdowns impacting spectrum policies and strategies

• Competition for spectrum assets & player positioning

• Outlooks & scenarios





Technologies

• 3G

• 4G

• BWA

• Fixed WiMAX

• FMC

• IMT

• Mobile TV

• Mobile WiMAX

• ...

•





Key questions

• What market factors are shaping the spectrum landscape?

• What are the stakes involved in spectrum pricing?

• Who will benefit from the digital dividend?

• What are the spectrum issues per country? per sector?

• How are players and regulators positioning themselves?

• Which spectrum for WiMAX technology?

• Which spectrum for 4G?

• How will spectrum prices evolve?





Who should read this report?

Manufacturers

• Identify spectrum standardisation decisions and the impact on technology deployments

• Take account of the timeline for service rollouts



Fixed and mobile telecom operators and ISPs

• Assess the opportunities that new radio technologies represent, and the issues involved in new frequency band allocations

• New threats and opportunities for telecom operators' business models

• Understand the strategic implications for major players affected by changes in spectrum regimes



Regulators

• Identify the approaches for determining optimum choices of spectrum allocation

• Validate the frequency bands that will actually be used and assess future demands for spectrum



Investors and analysts

• Assess new radio technologies and their relevant markets

• Identify the most dynamic key players (operators and suppliers)

1 - Major breakpoints in the spectrum field
1.1 Development of broadband wireless access
• New wireless services
• Development of mobile ``flat-rate data`` offerings
• Demand for spectrum assets is increasing
1.2 Multiplication of wireless technologies
• Cellular and BWA technologies
• Competition for suitable harmonized frequency bands
• Adoption of new technologies by telecom operators
1.3 Convergence in wireless industries
• Fixed Mobile convergence
• Broadcast and telecom industries convergence
• Technical convergence: handover between IEEE and 3GPP standardized solutions
1.4 New entrants
• Increased competition for spectrum
• BWA players
• Infrastructure operators
• Fixed operators
1.5 Asia: some new heavyweights in the spectrum game
• Gaining ground in standardization and regulation bodies
• Asian vendors increasing weight: the case of Samsung with WiBro technology

2 - Evolutions of spectrum regulation
2.1 Current spectrum management regimes
• Command and control, market mechanisms and commons
• Three criteria: frequency allocation, technology standardization, usage rights types
• New set of spectrum management regimes
2.2 Development of spectrum flexible usage and market mechanisms
• Service / technology independent spectrum allocation
• Secondary market and frequency trading
• Spectrum sharing
• Impact of technological developments on spectrum regulation
2.3 Positioning of main national regulators
• Evolutionary change desired
• Challenges for telecom regulators
• Where are we heading: increased fragmentation or renewed harmonization?

3 - What is the spectrum price?
3.1 Allocation of spectrum
• By service
• Discussions over allocation methods
3.2 Spectrum pricing
• Pricing methods
• Spectrum price differences per sector
• Spectrum price differences per country
3.3 Comparison of 3G and non-cellular spectrum assets prices
• 3G spectrum price
• Non-cellular BWA spectrum cost
• Why is non-cellular spectrum cheaper?
3.4 Paying for broadcasting spectrum?
• Broadcasting spectrum pricing policies
• Free access to broadcasting spectrum in question
3.5 What will be the evolution of the spectrum price?

4 - Who will benefit from the digital dividend?
4.1 The analogue television switch-off
• Background
• Switch-off date
• Switch-off modalities
4.2 Candidates eligible for released spectrum
• Seizing the spectrum dividend
• Future spectrum needs for television services
• Future spectrum needs for mobile telecommunications services
• Measuring the economic benefits of broadcast and mobile services: UK case study
4.3 Scenarios for the spectrum dividend
• Outcomes of the Regional Radio Conference (RRC-06) - Geneva 2006
• Case studies of digital dividend approaches
4.4 Analogue radio switch-off?

5 - Which spectrum for WiMAX technology?
5.1 Spectrum elements in WiMAX family
• Fixed WiMAX
• Mobile WiMAX
• Frequency bands used by WiMAX technology
5.2 Targeted bands and spectrum issues for WiMAX technology
• Global and harmonized frequency bands
• WiMAX spectrum specific issues
5.3 Competition between cellular technologies and WiMAX family
• Frequency band usage
• The battle for the 2.5 GHz band - UMTS extension band and WiMAX
• Auction of the 2.6 GHz band in the UK
• Approval of WiMAX as an IMT-2000 technology
5.4 Evolution in Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea

6 - Which spectrum for 4G?
6.1 IMT advanced spectrum requirements
• ITU definitions
• Larger bandwidth
• Spectrum requirements of terrestrial components
6.2 IMT advanced targeted bands to be discussed at the WRC 07
• Candidate bands
• Converged services and overlapping frequency bands
• Competition with satellite bands
6.3 Scenarios for IMT advanced spectrum allocation
• Spectrum assets are decisive for future deployments
• Available spectrum allowing full range of services
• Spectrum made available gradually
• Shared spectrum
• Operation in both current mobile bands and new bands

7 - Introducing Mobile TV: technologies and spectrum scenarios
7.1 Mobile TV main technologies
• DVB-H
• ISDB-T
• DMB-T
• Media FLO
7.2 Broadcast mobile TV services
7.3 Spectrum issues for Mobile TV