Spectrum for 5G To Be 'Major Goal' of WRC-19, U.S. Envoy Says

Defining 5G characteristics and carving out spectrum for it "clearly will be a major goal" for the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference, said Decker Anstrom, U.S. ambassador to WRC-15. The WRC also will take a U.S.-favored approach of identifying 11 specific bands between 24 and 86 GHz that would be looked at, Anstrom said on a call with reporters Monday. "We learned from WRC-15, leaving this open ended for a variety of bands to be looked at was not a helpful process," he said. "We wanted to be clear about the bands that would be studied."

The monthlong event wrapped up Friday in Geneva, with international mobile telecom (IMT) usage gaining spectrum in an array of bands (see 1511270042). Participants also set up a regulatory approach for better global flight tracking, and creating a WRC-19 agenda item addressing the technology and regulatory needs for such tracking, Anstrom said. Another item on the U.S. agenda identified for WRC-19 was an exploration of spectrum resources for high-altitude platforms (HAP), he said. "This is a game-changer in terms of aviation, no question about it." While HAPs proposals have faced "a negative response" in the past, he said, the idea is gaining traction as companies such as Facebook and Google talk about using unmanned aerial systems as a route to broadband access for the billions of people lacking connectivity (see 1506120034), he said.

One big disappointment was the omission of the what the U.S. considered a high-priority band, 27.5-29.5 GHz, for consideration for 5G use, Anstrom said. While the FCC is looking into use of that band (see 1510230050), "we'd hoped it'd be part of the WRC-19 agenda," Anstrom said. "We think this is a missed opportunity. The U.S. will continue to pursue this domestically [and] over time the international community may find the U.S. was right about this."

The U.S. also was disappointed that WRC-15 delegates rejected allocating any lower UHF frequency band for IMT, though the issue is picking up steam, as Europe is now backing a study for the 2023 agenda and will likely be watching closely use of UHF for IMT in such countries as the Bolivia, Canada and the U.S., Anstrom said. Once Africa finishes its 700 MHz transition in the next two to three years, regulators there likely will turn attention to UHF issues, Anstrom said: "It's always been our thought this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon." Pointing to North America, Anstrom said, "We now have one of the most dynamic markets in the world embracing UHF spectrum for mobile. That will drive the world over the next four to eight years."

Broadcasters were ebullient, in comments to us and in statements. NAB "was pleased by the global unity demonstrated at WRC-15 for the importance of a vibrant system of over-the-air broadcasting," it said in a statement. Of the 162 nations attending the conference, more than 140 "rejected the wireless broadband industry’s anti-broadcasting UHF spectrum grab and recognized that frequency band is harmonized to provide television services on a worldwide scale," it said. "This broad consensus should send a strong message that while wireless broadband services are important for those who can afford the fees, that service should not come at the expense of a ubiquitous over-the air TV service that is available to all for free."

In a separate statement, Winston Caldwell, head of the North American Broadcasters Association delegation to WRC-15, said that despite "some minimal concessions ... to accommodate the unorthodox views of only a few administrations by the inclusion of footnotes in the Radio Regulations, the outcome of this year’s WRC-15 solidifies the worldwide harmonized position to maintain the primary allocations of the broadcast-related services in both the UHF and standard C-band frequency ranges and to ensure the protection of these services for many years to come."