{"id":15152,"date":"2018-11-06T08:01:26","date_gmt":"2018-11-06T08:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/newsroom\/?p=15152"},"modified":"2026-02-09T10:20:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T10:20:33","slug":"gsma-5g-at-risk-if-mobile-operators-dont-get-access-to-the-right-spectrum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/newsroom\/press-release\/gsma-5g-at-risk-if-mobile-operators-dont-get-access-to-the-right-spectrum\/","title":{"rendered":"GSMA: 5G at Risk if Mobile Operators Don\u2019t Get Access to the Right Spectrum"},"content":{"rendered":"

With One Year to Go to the <\/em>World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19),<\/em> GSMA Calls for Governments to Support Mobile Industry Spectrum Needs<\/em><\/p>\n

London<\/strong>: The successful rollout of ultra-fast 5G services relies on timely access to the right amount and type of spectrum in the next year, warns the GSMA in an industry position released today. As the race to launch 5G services intensifies, the GSMA highlights the need for governments, regulators and the mobile industry to work together to deliver widespread coverage, and the full potential of 5G for everyone.<\/p>\n

According to the \u2018GSMA Public Policy Position on 5G Spectrum,\u2019 governments around the world have started to auction spectrum for 5G networks, but variations in how much spectrum has been assigned, the onerous conditions imposed \u2013 and the cost of access to that spectrum \u2013 means the speed, reach and quality of 5G services could vary dramatically between countries. Early adopter countries will be the first to realise the significant benefits of 5G \u2013 from fibre-like mobile broadband speeds and smarter cities to autonomous cars and digitised factories \u2013 and stand to reap important socio-economic benefits including GDP growth. GSMA Intelligence forecasts that there will be 1.3 billion 5G connections by 2025, but this will be dependent on operators gaining access to sufficient spectrum.<\/p>\n

\u201cOperators urgently need more spectrum to deliver the endless array of services that 5G will enable – our 5G future depends heavily on the decisions governments are making in the next year as we head into WRC-19,\u201d said Brett Tarnutzer, Head of Spectrum, GSMA. \u201cWithout strong government support to allocate sufficient spectrum to next generation mobile services, it will be impossible to achieve the global scale that will make 5G affordable and accessible for everyone. There is a real opportunity for innovation from 5G, but this hinges on governments focusing on making enough spectrum available, not maximising auction revenues for short term gains.\u201d<\/p>\n

The GSMA outlines several key considerations for governments and regulators, including:<\/p>\n

1. 5G needs wider frequency bands to support higher speeds and larger amounts of traffic. Regulators that make available 80-100 MHz of spectrum per operator in prime 5G mid-bands (e.g. 3.5 GHz) and around 1 GHz per operator in vital millimeter wave bands (i.e. above 24 GHz), will best support the very fastest 5G services.<\/p>\n

2. 5G needs spectrum within three key frequency ranges to deliver widespread coverage and support all use cases:<\/p>\n