THERE IS A BETTER SOLUTION THAT WOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE IF THE DECISION WERE REVERSED AND THE UPPER 6GHZ BAND WAS ALLOCATED FOR UNLICENSED WI-FI .
INDUSTRY WATCH
THERE IS A BETTER SOLUTION THAT WOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE IF THE DECISION WERE REVERSED AND THE UPPER 6GHZ BAND WAS ALLOCATED FOR UNLICENSED WI-FI .
Wireless spectrum is the lifeblood of communication , and one of the most important legislative decisions in any country is deciding who gets to use it and for what purpose . and had little practical use . Similarly , 5G has become a costly endeavour with limited tangible benefits . Ask any user of the latest Samsung or Apple smartphones how 5G has changed their lives , and you are likely to be met with blank expressions .
One of the hottest debates in South Africa today revolves around 6GHz spectrum , particularly its allocation for either Wi-Fi or 5G services . The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa , ICASA has already opened the lower unlicensed 6GHz band , 5.925 – 6.425 GHz for indoor , low-power Wi-Fi use – a commendable step .
Subsequently , in June this year , ICASA published an RFI requesting submissions from all incumbent users of this band . This was a first step towards creating an Automated Frequency Coordination , AFC database that will allow spectrum sharing and co-existence between the incumbents and unlicensed users , opening the door for using this frequency band in an outdoor environment .
However , the more contentious issue lies with the upper 6GHz band , which has sparked a fierce battle between proponents of unlicensed Wi-Fi and advocates for 5G .
In stark contrast , Wi-Fi has been a monumental success . Yet , it has been starved of spectrum , making ICASA ’ s decision to open the lower 6GHz band a welcome relief . However , the real battle is over the upper 6GHz band . Should it be allocated to the already faltering 5G networks , or to the consistently successful Wi-Fi ?
The World Radiocommunication Conference , WRC held in November 2023 in Dubai highlighted this debate . While the Americas and South Korea have already allocated the entire 6GHz band to unlicensed Wi-Fi , the WRC ruled that the upper band should be identified as IMT spectrum , for 5G in Region 1 , which includes Europe , Africa , and parts of the Middle East .
This decision has been met with significant resistance , particularly in Africa and Europe , where the war over the spectrum continues . What made the World Radiocommunication Conference think that the African region only needs half as much Wi-Fi as the Americas ?
Paul Colmer , EXCO Member , Wireless Access Provider ’ s Association
Globally , 5G rollouts have yielded few success stories . Publicised as the technology that would revolutionise the world and everything from self-driving cars to remote surgery , the reality has fallen far short . These grand visions have proven to be little more than pipe dreams , making 5G perhaps the biggest white elephant in telecommunications history .
One of the biggest reasons for this pushback is that the 6GHz band already has incumbent users . Unlicensed Wi-Fi can coexist with these users through an AFC database , a system successfully implemented in the Americas . However , this is not feasible for mobile 5G services due to the higher power levels required and the constant movement of users .
The term white elephant originates from Asia , where such rare animals were seen as symbols of wealth and prosperity because they were expensive to maintain
5G would require priority access to give a reasonable class of service while generating interference making coexistence with incumbents impossible .
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