Countries that have licensed large amounts of 3.5 GHz mid-band spectrum are being rewarded with the fastest 5G networks in Latin America. That is made clear by new research[1] from analytics company Opensignal in partnership with the GSMA Spectrum team.
While 5G is advancing in the region, network performance differs significantly from country to country. In large part, the differences can be traced back to spectrum availability. Download speeds increase almost linearly with the average amount of bandwidth available. Users in Brazil and Uruguay benefit from the highest amount of 5G spectrum bandwidth, which translates to some of the highest download speeds in the region, according to Opensignal’s analysis.
5G download speeds vs spectrum bandwidth in use per user
Source: Opensignal
In Brazil, the combination of 5G standalone (SA) and the deployment of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band resulted in massive performance improvements. On average, the country’s 5G download speeds are almost 11 times faster than with 4G connectivity. This improvement helps illustrate the benefits countries that have yet to launch 5G services are missing out on.
The positive impact of licensing large amounts of 3.5 GHz spectrum can be seen beyond Latin America. Recent analysis of the US market, also conducted by Opensignal, illustrates how licensing more spectrum capacity is driving fixed wireless access (FWA) availability and performance. FWA has become the main driver for new broadband growth (90%), providing almost the same share of connections in urban and rural areas.[2]
Countries such as Denmark, Finland, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are also reaping the benefits of licensing large amounts of mid-band spectrum. They have licensed from 120 to 200 MHz in 3.5 GHz per operator. As a result, all three, as well as the US, are ranked in the top 10 of GSMA Intelligence’s 5G Connectivity Index[3], which considers several attributes, including network experience and spectrum availability.
Mid-band spectrum has been the main driver of 5G success and future expansion. By the end of Q1 2024, over 75 percent of network launches had used the 3.5 GHz range, and the analysis also shows that most countries in Latin America rely on 3.5 GHz to deliver 5G. Mid-bands are also forecasted to realise the largest portion of 5G’s socio-economic benefits[4], an increase of more than $610 billion in global GDP in 2030 – almost 65% of the overall socio-economic value generated by 5G.
Despite the clear impact of the 3.5 GHz band today, spectrum licensing must be an ongoing effort, and no country can afford to rest on its laurels. Mobile networks will need, on average, 2 GHz of mid-band spectrum per country by 2030[5] and the right spectrum availability can help continued success, in Latin America and elsewhere. Roadmaps for additional capacity are needed for sustainable growth of mobile and fixed services.
Whether or not countries can make that much spectrum 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 ITU Region – EMEA, CIS, 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.
Therefore, for countries that want to stay at the forefront or aim to catch up to its more successful neighbours, the following steps should be implemented:
a. Ensure existing mid-bands are fully assigned to mobile operators on a technology neutral basis, allowing them to be used for the latest technologies.
b. Make 3.3-3.8 GHz available for mobile.
c. Make 6 GHz band at 6.425-7.125 GHz available for licensed, macro-cell mobile.
More Resources for Spectrum Management in the Americas
[1] https://www.opensignal.com/2024/09/19/35ghz-spectrum-the-driving-force-behind-5g-experience-in-latam
[2] https://www.gsma.com/connectivity-for-good/spectrum/fwa-goes-beyond-the-unconnected-to-delivering-competition/
[3] https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/5g-index
[4] https://www.gsma.com/spectrum/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mid-band-5G-spectrum-benefits.pdf
[5] https://www.gsma.com/connectivity-for-good/spectrum/gsma_resources/5g-mid-band-spectrum-needs-vision-2030/