Page 109 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

FCC Grants AT&T Access to DISH AWS-4 Spectrum in Puerto Rico, USVI

The Federal Communications Commission network capacity. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai
(FCC) has announced that the Wireless commented: ‘Staying connected while
Telecommunications Bureau has granted staying apart is the reality right now
AT&T Communications Special Temporary across America during this pandemic,
Authority (STA) to use additional spectrum and that is no less true for those living in
to serve Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. We have
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The FCC put a special emphasis on helping those
is granting AT&T access to a block of on the islands stay connected following
AWS-4 spectrum, currently licensed to the terrible storms that hit them in recent
DISH Network, for 60 days to expand its years.’

FCC Delays 3.5GHz Auction

The US Federal Communications additional time to prepare”. FCC Chairman band auctions held by the FCC in 2020,
Commission (FCC) pushed back the start Ajit Pai added in a statement it remains with a sale of C-Band (3.7GHz to 4.2GHz)
date for a planned auction of key mid- committed to moving ahead despite the spectrum scheduled for December.
band spectrum in the 3.5GHz band by setback, and looks forward to “beginning Unlicensed airwaves in the 3.5GHz band,
one month, citing business disruptions this important mid-band auction”. The which is designated as shared spectrum
caused by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) sale will be the first in the country to make in the US, were opened for commercial use
outbreak. Applications for participation mid-band spectrum available to operators in January. The US isn’t the only country
will now be due by 7 May rather than 9 for 5G, offering a total of 22,631 licences. delaying spectrum sales due to COVID-19:
April, with bidding set to begin 23 July. Seven licences will be offered in each French authorities earlier this month
The sale was originally scheduled to begin geographic zone. Spectrum will be sold in pushed back a 5G auction due to take
on 25 June. Officials deemed the delay 10MHz chunks, with bidders permitted to place in April.
necessary to “protect the health and safety hold up to four licenses in a given area. It
of Commission staff and to allow parties is set to be the first of at least two mid-

GSMA Expects $1T Impact from 5G

The GSMA hailed 5G for gaining significant utilities, professional and financial services $4.9 trillion (4.9 per cent) by end-2024, as
traction since launch, with the technology would reap the greatest benefits from productivity and efficiency is boosted by
maturing past its development stage, as it 5G, potentially adding $2.2 trillion to the increased take-up of mobile services. The
forecast significant operator investment global economy at the close of 2034. By mobile ecosystem supported more than
in the coming years. In its latest Mobile end-January, it said commercial services 30 million jobs directly and indirectly in
Economy report, the GSMA predicted had been commenced by 46 operators in 2019, and made a substantial contribution
operators would outlay $1.1 trillion globally 24 countries following a spate of launches to pubic sector funding with $490 billion
in capex between 2020 and 2025, 80 per in 2019. It forecast one-in-five mobile raised through tax. GSMA’s latest research
cent of which will be on 5G networks. connections would be on 5G networks by also revealed global unique mobile
Mats Granryd, GSMA Director General, end-2025. Despite the progress of 5G, 4G subscribers stood at 5.2 billion by end-
said hype surrounding 5G had given way remained the most popular technology at 2019 (67 per cent of global population),
to reality, as “millions of consumers are the close of 2019, accounting for 52 per forecasting this to grow to 5.8 billion by
already migrating” to next generation cent of global connections at that point end-2025 (70 per cent). Almost half of the
networks and “enterprises are beginning to and being tipped to increase its share to 56 global population (3.8 billion people) were
embrace” innovations including “network per cent by end-2025. The industry group connected to mobile internet services: this
slicing, edge computing and low-latency said mobile technologies and services is expected to reach 61 per cent (5 billion)
services”. The industry group predicted contributed $4.1 trillion, or 4.7 per cent, of by end-2025.
industries including manufacturing, global GDP at end-2019. It tipped this to hit

109 MARCH 2020