3G Networks Want Access to TV Radio Spectrum
3G mobile industry association the UMTS Forum has urged Latin America to support the international need for additional radio spectrum from today's UHF television broadcast bands to provide capacity and coverage for future mobile broadband services.
"While mobile penetration is increasing rapidly in Latin America right now, we are anticipating immense growth in demand for high-quality voice and mobile data services in the region over the next decade and beyond - and this demands more spectrum", commented UMTS Forum Chairman Jean-Pierre Bienaimé.
"Optimised and enhanced GSM solutions will satisfy demand for affordable voice, text and basic data services in the shorter term", stated Bienaimé. "Looking further ahead, however, Latin America will increasingly favour UMTS/HSPA to provide cost effective mobile broadband coverage supported by affordable terminals and attractive service pricing."
In particular, the UMTS Forum is championing the future use of roughly 100 MHz in the part of the UHF frequency band that is currently allocated for broadcast services. These frequencies in the 470-806/862 MHz range, argues the UMTS Forum, are ideally suited to providing wide-area coverage for broadband mobile services to large regions of Latin America where population density is low.
At these frequencies - lower than so-called 'core band' band for 3G/UMTS mobile services in the 2100 MHz range - radio propagation is more efficient. Freeing part of this band for mobile services would allow Latin American operators to reduce the number of cellular base stations required to provide rural coverage of mobile broadband services.
Alongside other developing regions, believes the UMTS Forum, Latin America represents a huge potential market for mobile broadband services. Meeting this demand most effectively, however, demands a harmonised technological and regulatory framework that builds on proven standards and is optimised for the demands of the Latin American economy. "We need mobile communication solutions that are accessible to customers with limited incomes", added Bienaimé. "To make this happen, industry has a major role to play in co-ordinating its actions within the framework of the ITU."
"Collectively we need to ensure that sufficient globally harmonised spectrum is available to meet long-term growth in demand for mobile broadband services", continued Bienaimé. "We need the strong commitment of all industry players at WRC-07 to achieve the goal of identifying sufficient and suitable spectrum for IMT for future capacity and coverage applications of mobile systems.
"We support a harmonised sub-band of around 100 MHz for UMTS/IMT-2000 in the UHF 470-806/862 MHz range. Co-ordinating our efforts now will ensure that these frequencies become available after 2010.
"It's vital that industry and administrations work together to reduce the 'digital divide' that still deprives billions of people globally from access to high-quality, dependable voice and data communications", continued Bienaimé. "Positive decisions made at WRC-07 will play a fundamental role in reducing this divide."
Posted to the site on 4th July 2007