{"id":21220,"date":"2024-02-23T13:07:16","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T13:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/?p=21220"},"modified":"2025-10-16T11:54:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T10:54:12","slug":"spectrum-harmonisation-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/spectrum-management-and-licensing\/spectrum-harmonisation-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Spectrum harmonisation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mph_background mph_column left\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Background<\/h3>\n<p>Spectrum harmonisation is the uniform allocation of radio frequency bands under common technical and regulatory conditions, across regional blocs or globally. Adherence to internationally identified spectrum bands has many advantages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lower costs for consumers due to economies of scale.<\/li>\n<li>A wider range of devices supported by a larger international market.<\/li>\n<li>Roaming or the ability to use a mobile device abroad.<\/li>\n<li>Fewer cross-border interference issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Efforts to harmonise bands for mobile have taken different forms. The first step in the harmonisation of any band happens at a World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC). Mobile allocation for a particular frequency band, and additional International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) identification, have always been sought at WRCs to harmonise mobile use.<\/p>\n<p>The WRC process is instrumental to the success of harmonisation. At WRC-23, for example, agreement was reached on harmonising the3.6\u20133.8 GHz and 6 GHz bands. In 2019, mmWave bands were discussed and the harmonised use of 26 GHz, 40 GHz and 66 GHz was agreed.<\/p>\n<p>However, countries develop their communications systems at different rates, and negotiations at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have struggled to keep pace with the needs of the fastest-moving markets. Over the past 10 years, countries have been developing bands for mobile use on their own, either regionally or unilaterally, to meet demand. This was clear at 5G launches when the portion of the 3.5 GHz range harmonised at WRCs proved insufficient for most countries. Today, as much as 700 MHz is available in this spectrum band in some countries. WRC-27 may advance harmonisation of the 6 GHz band, but it remains to be seen whether the use of this band will outstrip agreements at the ITU.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Road to WRC-27<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The WRC-27 cycle includes looking at some new spectrum for mobile: 4.4\u20134.8 GHz, 7.125\u20138.4 GHz, and 14.8\u201315.35 GHz. These bands will enable the new generation of mobile connectivity in the 2030s.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to possible new mobile bands, the WRC-27 agenda will consider studies on other radio services, including satellite direct-to- device (D2D) connectivity between satellites and mobile devices to supplement terrestrial network coverage.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Debate<\/h3>\n<p><em>What planning tools, spectrum needs forecasts or technology analyses are required to support long-term development?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"mph_background mph_column right\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Industry position<\/h3>\n<p>Governments that align national spectrum use with internationally harmonised band plans will achieve the greatest benefits for consumers and avoid interference along their borders.<\/p>\n<p>The mobile industry has had concerns about the pace of the WRC process for several cycles.Rapid growth in consumer demand for mobile has prompted countries and regions to look beyond WRCs to provide access to new mobile bands.<\/p>\n<p>Where this has been necessary, multi-regional harmonisation has been broadly achieved by loose consensus based on equipment availability. However, this approach risks leaving later-adopting nations without input on which bands are best used, as equipment will only be developed in bands used by early-adopter nations. However, WRC-23 did manage a long-term view on some spectrum with the identification of the 6 GHz band for mobile use.<\/p>\n<p>At minimum, the harmonisation of mobile bands at the regional level is crucial. Even small variations in standard band plans can result in many devices not being useable, with costly consequences for consumers.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Resources:<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/connectivity-for-good\/spectrum\/wrc-series\/\">WRC-27 and WRC-23 website,<\/a> GSMA<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/connectivity-for-good\/spectrum\/mobile-evolution-spectrum-for-6g\/\">Mobile evolution: spectrum for 6G,<\/a> GSMA, 2025<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1146],"tags":[],"featured_image_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21220"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21220"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22211,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21220\/revisions\/22211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/mobile-policy-handbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}