Europe Seen Moving Slowly on High-Band Spectrum vs. US Approach

Verizon holds the most high-band licenses of any U.S. carrier and is “aggressively” deploying the spectrum starting in major urban areas and moving out to the suburbs, said Patrick Welsh, director-federal government affairs. High band will be “the core spectrum asset in dense urban areas and high-traffic venues,” he said. Verizon has 800 MHz available in most metropolitan areas, allowing eight 100 MHz channels in each market, he said. “Over time, we anticipate that we’ll exceed 2 Gbps speeds for both mobile and fixed.”

High-band spectrum is a “key enabler” for peak data rates, mobile data volume and low latency, Welsh said. “It’s only with millimeter wave that you can get the full experience of a true 5G network.” Welsh noted Verizon is focused on the 28 and 39 GHz bands and filled out its portfolio in the latter band in the most recent auction. The spectrum will be most important for uses requiring wideband connections, including drones, autonomous vehicles, smart cities and augmented reality, he said.

So far, only the U.K., Finland and Italy have made high band available, said Luigi Ardito, Qualcomm Europe senior director-government affairs. “This is not good news for Europe," he said. “This increases the risk that Europe could fall behind other regions.” Carriers in other countries recognize that 5G requires all frequency ranges, he said. 5G is new “and there is need for global scale to gain market liftoff,” Ardito said. The 5G market in Europe will be shaped by what the U.K. and Germany do, he predicted: "I want to introduce a sense of urgency."

Europe isn’t falling behind, responded Philip Marnick, Ofcom group director-spectrum. In the U.K, all four commercial providers have launched 5G, he said. “People have handsets, and they’re using them.” The U.S. showed high-band works for 5G, he said: “The question is how do you release it and how do you enable it to be part of somebody’s portfolio.” The U.K. issued the first licenses for fixed wireless in the 28 GHz band in 2008, he said. Europe needs to consider allocations at 57-71 GHz, he said. “This a massive band of spectrum that enables people to do new things.”

“We need to change our mindset,” Marnick conceded. “We can sit as regulators and try to decide what the right solution is for what the market is going to do,” he said. “We’re not very good at that. Our job is to make spectrum available … in ways that actually enables and not stops things happening.” Trying to manage things is “the European way,” he said.

The European Commission committed to allow deployment in 11 GHz of high-band spectrum, which “meant crossing a new boundary in frequency use for terrestrial wireless broadband,” said Branimir Stantchev, head of the EC’s Spectrum for Wireless Broadband Sector. So far, the EC has designated the 26 GHz band for “pioneer” deployments, he said. It’s also scoping 66-71 GHz, subject to harmonization among European nations, and 42 GHz, with a decision likely next year, he said.

The 26 GHz band “is the major test case,” Stantchev said. “Member states have to authorize at least one GHz of this spectrum, subject to market demand, by the end of this year,” he said.

France is still scoping the band, which will help with network densification and Wi-Fi hot spots, but 5G will be built using mid-band spectrum, said Eric Fournier, director-spectrum planning and international affairs at French spectrum agency Agence Nationale des Frequences. Europe’s approach has been to “limit the risk” to environmental sensor station and other incumbents by moving, he said. There’s no need to “rush” on 42 GHz “since we already have 26 GHz in our pocket,” he said.

Ardito said it’s disappointing that France won't make high-band available this year. Tests have already started, Fournier responded: “We are learning from other countries … from what the market players are trying to do.”