This report provides an overview of the latest trends in the field of
spectrum. It analyses the regulatory trends concerning new spectrum for mobile
services, and provides a detailed look at the recent allocation plans from the
US and Europe. It also analyses what impact the allocation of the digital
dividend will have on the mobile sector and supplies an analysis of the
valuation of spectrum by examining the most recent spectrum auctions worldwide.
Key questions
Regulation
What spectrum restrictions are the European Union and the United States
having to face?
Why are the measures outlined by regulatory and policy-making bodies
similar?
What additional challenges does the European Union face in working to
achieve a harmonised spectrum policy?
Digital Dividend
Is Europe lagging behind the US?
What is the current status of the digital dividend?
Is harmonisation going to be achieved in Western Europe for the 800 MHz
band?
What advantages does it bring to mobile operators?
Which role will it play in 4G development?
4G spectrum
Which frequency bands and at what cost?
Which frequency bands are used today by mobile networks?
Which frequency bands are going to be used for 4G networks?
What spectrum requirements will the growth of mobile broadband create?
What new spectrum will be available in the coming years?
What will be the price of the new frequency bands?
Table of Contents
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2. METHODOLOGY
3. REGULATION
Regulatory situation in Europe and the USA
3.1. The spectrum situation in Europe
3.1.1. Background
3.1.2. European Commission actions
3.1.3. RSPP (Radio Spectrum Policy Program)
3.2. The US broadband plan
4. DIGITAL DIVIDEND
Is Europe lagging behind the US?
4.1. Status of analogue TV switch-off
4.2. What is the status of digital dividend?
4.2.1. Europe
Denmark Finland France Germany Sweden Switzerland The UK
4.2.2. Digital dividend in the rest of the world
Americas USA Japan South Korea China Other Asia-Pacific countries
4.3. Technical issues surrounding the digital dividend
Technical plan for the 800 MHz band in Ex
CEPT
Interference issues
5. 4G SPECTRUM
Which frequency bands and at what cost?
5.1. The mobile data traffic explosion and its impact on spectrum
requirements
5.1.1. IDATE' s traffic forecasts
5.1.2. Market projections
5.1.3. Spectrum needs
5.2. Which frequency bands are being used in each region?
5.2.1. Existing bands for mobile networks
5.2.2. Frequency bands for LTE: a risk of fragmentation exists
5.2.3. 4G spectrum around the world
5.2.4. Availability dates for LTE licences
5.2.5. FDD and TDD convergence
Frequency bands for TDD operation
Competition between mobile WiMAX and TD-LTE
The Chinese market to drive TD-LTE
India' s auctions could increase interest in TD-LTE
5.3. Spectrum refarming
5.3.1. A definition of spectrum refarming
5.3.2. Frequency bands for refarming
5.3.3. The 900 MHz band
Potential benefits
The distribution of the 900 MHz spectrum will slow down the refarming
process
The GSM Directive
5.3.4. UMTS 850 and 900 MHz deployments
Australia Finland France Sweden Switzerland The United Kingdom
5.4. 2.6 GHz band status
5.4.1. FDD/TDD arrangements
5.4.2. European Commission Decision
5.4.3. Europe: harmonisation of the 2.6 GHz band is not likely
Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany The Netherlands
Norway Sweden The United Kingdom
5.4.4. Asia-Pacific region
Japan Hong Kong South Korea India China
5.4.5. USA
5.4.6. South America
Brazil Chile
5.5. 3.5 GHz band status: potential for 4G in the long term
5.5.1. Current and future use
5.5.2. Regulatory context - European Commission
5.5.3. Status in Europe and in the US
5.6. Satellite bands: opportunities for a satellite complement to
terrestrial networks
5.6.1. S-Band in Europe
5.6.2. LightSquared
Technology: a hybrid satellite-terrestrial network
Spectrum
Network building
A wholesale-only business model
Plans - commercial service
5.7. Mobile operators' strategies
5.7.1. Spectrum used by mobile operators
5.7.2. How to deal with the explosion in data traffic?
5.7.3. Network sharing and its impact on spectrum valuation
5.8. Spectrum valuation and the cost of 4G spectrum
5.8.1. Factors playing a role in spectrum valuation
5.8.2. Price of LTE spectrum
5.8.3. Price of WiMAX spectrum
5.8.4. Spectrum caps
5.9. The technological factor
5.9.1. Evolution of mobile technologies
5.9.2. Spectrum efficiency gains
5.9.3. SDR base station facilitate spectrum re-use
