People and businesses are using more data than ever before as they engage in new services and applications. Growing data usage means more spectrum is needed to support faster mobile services.
Spectrum is a finite national resource. Managing it correctly and assigning the right amount for mobile benefits society. Roadmaps help countries plan their long-term spectrum ambitions and achieve policy priorities like bridging digital divides and deploying the latest technologies. The GSMA’s Spectrum Roadmap Studio is now available as a free tool to help achieve these goals.
Successfully licensing spectrum has always required future-proofed planning. A spectrum roadmap ensures there is enough spectrum to meet surging demand for mobile services in the long- and short-term. Roadmaps help governments forecast future trends and manage their work. They assure mobile network operators about investment opportunities based on the government’s future assignments, renewal plans, and management of radio spectrum.
Key features
The Spectrum Roadmap Studio can help all spectrum management authorities become planning experts. Users can input market-specific data to produce comprehensive insights on existing spectrum assignment and identify opportunities to enhance efficiency and enable innovation.
Key features include:
- Country-tailored data: customise your roadmap with data tailored for your country’s needs.
- Supports all identified IMT-identified bands: plan confidently across 10+ IMT harmonised bands, across low, mid- and high bands.
- Actionable insights at every step: supports band-by-band review workflow, including any incumbent issues and solutions.
- Flexible, interactive and policy-ready: test real-world scenarios and adjust bands to achieve optimal results.
- Download a ready-to-use roadmap: results and recommendations are shared in a downloadable report.
- Secure and private-by design: Single country login mechanism and encrypted data storage.
We will initially work with a handful of countries to ensure the tool meets the needs of a variety of governments and regulators, then gradually expand availability.
Why this is important
The GSMA has developed the Spectrum Roadmap Studio to help countries respond to the increasing pressure on mobile networks worldwide. A rise in traffic requires additional spectrum to continue providing the service expected by over 5 billion mobile users worldwide.
Having the right amount of low-, mid- and high-band spectrum is at the core of delivering connectivity for everyone.
Low bands connect rural and remote areas. They help lower the digital divide between urban and rural areas and build bridges towards digital inclusion. Low bands ensure that vital services, such as digital healthcare and education, are available to all. There is a strong link between additional low-band spectrum and enhanced investment to strengthen rural connectivity. Each additional 50 MHz of sub-1 GHz spectrum is associated with a 7 percentage-point increase in 4G coverage and an 11 percentage-point increase in 5G coverage in rural areas.
Mid-bands provide city-wide capacity and should be prioritised as 5G matures in leading markets and new launches continue worldwide. They supply affordable capacity in suburban and urban areas, supporting enhanced mobile broadband, industrial applications, and fixed wireless access. The upper 6 GHz band is crucial for this evolution as its wide, contiguous channels can supplement future spectrum needs and pave the way for 6G networks.
Forward planning is especially important as the world prepares for the next World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 (WRC-27). The Conference will consider two important frequency ranges, 4.4-4.8 GHz and 7.125-8.4 GHz, which can provide capacity for mobile to grow.
Effective spectrum regulation enables the ongoing expansion of mobile connectivity, supporting increased opportunities and empowering communities. The Spectrum Roadmap Studio aims to unlock this potential.