Since the birth of 5G, the APAC region has had some of the world’s fastest 5G networks . According to a new Opensignal study in partnership with the GSMA spectrum team, APAC countries that have licensed larger amounts spectrum have a better user experience. The analysis also shows that 2G and 3G usage is decreasing, opening the door for technology upgrades.
Spectrum bandwidth in use vs 5G speeds
The role of mid-bands for the APAC success
The 3.5 GHz range has been important to 5G progress in the region, accounting for nearly 100% of Opensignal’s 5G readings in South Korea, Malaysia, and New Zealand. Further harmonisation – or wider use – of the 3.5 GHz range will allow more countries to take advantage of economies of scale in the mobile ecosystem and benefit from higher speeds provided by wide spectrum channels. Countries that have not licensed the 3.5 GHz band should prioritise its development as the core 5G band.
Beyond 3.5 GHz, data growth must also be supported by consideration of additional spectrum bands. Mobile networks will need, on average, 2 GHz of mid-band spectrum per country by 2030. Whether or not countries can make that much available depends in large part on the future the 6 GHz band. Last year, WRC-23 identified 6 GHz (6.425-7.125 GHz) for mobile use by countries in every region – EMEA, Eurasia, the Americas, and Asia Pacific – and global, harmonised conditions for its use have been agreed in the ITU’s Radio Regulations. This brings together a population of billions of people into a harmonised 6 GHz mobile footprint. It also serves as a critical step for manufacturers of the 6 GHz equipment ecosystem. Making 6.425-7.125 GHz available for licensed, macro-cell mobile at the right time, is therefore critical.
4G and 5G grow, while 2G and 3G decline
The new Opensignal analysis for APAC also looks into legacy technologies in use by band, confirming that technology upgrades via graceful refarming help support some capacity demands, as bands are migrated to 4G and 5G from the sunsetting of 2G and 3G services in several countries. In APAC, the time connected to 2G and 3G varies significantly by market but remains below 10% in most cases.
Percentage of time in 2G and 3G
Source: Opensignal
The rationale for legacy network sunsets, while upgrading to 4G or 5G, comes with benefits to mobile users and the broader economy. This includes faster speeds, lower latency, higher capacity, and, in some cases, improved spectrum bandwidth. Switching to newer technologies on market-driven timescales also promotes energy efficiency and lowers carbon emissions.
It is also important to note that sunset processes should be driven by market conditions, rather than mandated. This requires close collaboration between regulators, mobile operators and other ecosystem players, to identify and implement the enablers of a smooth phasing out of legacy networks in the region.
Therefore, for countries that want to stay at the forefront of connectivity development, additional low and mid-bands should be fully assigned to mobile operators at affordable prices and on a technology neutral basis. This will allow them to be used for the latest technologies. Making 3.3-3.8 GHz and 6.425-7.125 GHz available for licensed, macro-cell mobile at the right time will help support mobile evolution.