Carriers Worldwide Need More Spectrum for 5G: GSMA

Carriers worldwide will need an average of 2 GHz of mid-band and 5 GHz of high-band spectrum for 5G by 2030, GSMA said in reports released Thursday. In low bands “spectrum needs for 5G are higher than the amount of capacity that naturally exists below 1 GHz,” but “ensuring the availability of the 600 MHz band will raise rural broadband speeds by 30-50%,” GSMA said. “The speed and availability of 5G services depend on mobile network operators having access to spectrum in low, mid- and high bands to build out cost-effective networks,” the group said: “Robust licensing and timely availability of spectrum is also central to the success of 5G deployment.” GSMA called sub-1 GHz spectrum "the cornerstone of digital equality and a driver of broad and affordable connectivity."