United States: Suspend 5G deployment!

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As we all know, spectrum resources are crucial in 5G deployment.

Currently, 5G is being deployed in two frequency bands around the world, one is the Sub-6 band, from 450MHz-6GHz; the other is the millimeter wave (mmWave) band, from 24.25GHz-52.6GHz.

The choice to deploy 5G on different frequency bands determines the differences in 5G development paths among countries.

The Sub-6 frequency band and millimeter wave each have their own advantages and disadvantages. The Sub-6 frequency band has a wider coverage range and better signal penetration, while the millimeter wave can bring a higher transmission rate, but its disadvantages are also obvious. The range is limited and the signal penetration is poor. A piece of paper or a leaf may cause great signal loss.

Among the many countries that are actively promoting the development of 5G, the United States is "unique" in that it has chosen the faster millimeter wave 5G as a breakthrough point and has eagerly embraced millimeter wave 5G from the beginning. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and other mainstream US operators have successively launched millimeter wave 5G networks. However, it now seems that the coverage and loss of millimeter wave 5G are still big problems, and there is still a long way to go before mature commercial use.

Operators spend over $100 billion on spectrum

The expansion of millimeter wave 5G has encountered obstacles, forcing the United States to adjust its 5G direction and deploy 5G in low-frequency bands. However, the US Sub 6 GHz spectrum has always been controlled by other fields such as aviation and the military, and it costs a lot to obtain this part of the resource.

After a series of efforts, some mid-band frequencies can be used for mobile communications deployment. The US Federal Communications Commission has conducted two auctions in the past year. In January this year, the Federal Communications Commission auctioned a total of 280MHz of C-band 3.70GHz-3.98GHz frequency, and finally sold it for a sky-high price of US$80.9 billion, which is three times the market's expected price.

Among them, Verizon received the most resources at $45.45 billion, followed by AT&T, which spent $23.4 billion. These operators not only have to pay the above spectrum license fees, but also pay frequency clearance fees to satellite operators that previously occupied the frequency band to ensure that they vacate the spectrum resources in a timely manner.

In the recently concluded auction of the 3.45-3.55 GHz frequency band, 100MHz of frequency was sold at a high price of US$21.9 billion. These two spectrum segments cost more than US$100 billion.

Operators pay sky-high prices to obtain mid-band frequencies, which shows the importance of this resource to their 5G commercial deployment. Operators are ready to launch large-scale 5G commercial plans based on this valuable resource. For example, Verizon had planned to start deploying 5G mid-band networks in 46 cities in the United States this year, with the goal of covering 100 million people by March next year, 175 million people in 2023, and more than 250 million people by 2024.

However, reality has dealt a heavy blow to these US operators.

The United States is "stuck" in the process of promoting 5G commercialization

Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a "Special Information Notice" to remind manufacturers, operators and pilots that action may be needed to address the interference caused by the use of 5G communication technology to sensitive electronic equipment on aircraft.

The FAA said 5G networks deployed over the C-band could interfere with aircraft autopilot cabin systems, such as systems that help aircraft land in bad weather. Equipment manufacturers should also continue testing to clarify the sensitivity of specific radar altimeters to interference with 5G signals and should explore design changes that could mitigate the effects of interference.

The C-band referred to by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States is the 3.7-4.2GHz frequency band. The 5G mid-band acquired by operators at auction earlier this year is exactly between this frequency band.

On the eve of several operators planning to launch 5G mid-frequency band services in December this year, the Federal Aviation Administration's move dealt a heavy blow to the U.S. communications industry.

It is understood that Verizon and AT&T have been forced to announce the suspension of commercial use of mid-band 5G networks.

U.S. airline industry continues to sound warnings about 5G use

For more than a year, the U.S. aviation industry has been sounding the alarm about plans to use C-band spectrum for 5G.

Earlier, Reuters reported that the FAA has been discussing with the FCC its "concerns about the potential impacts to aviation safety from interference from C-band 5G networks on radar altimeter performance."

In its advisory, the FAA said operators “should prepare for the possibility that interference from 5G transmitters and other technologies could cause certain safety equipment to malfunction, requiring them to implement mitigation measures that could impact flight operations.”

The advisory states that “there has been no evidence of harmful interference from international wireless broadband operations.”

The FAA also recommends that pilots remind passengers that all 5G-equipped portable electronic devices should be turned off or switched to airplane mode during flight.

The FAA warned that safety systems and other equipment that rely on radio altimeters could experience reduced functionality, especially during low-altitude operations.

It said, “Equipment manufacturers should also continue testing to determine the susceptibility of specific radio altimeters to 5G interference and should explore design changes that could mitigate the effects of interference.”

It can be seen that some American institutions still do not have a clear understanding of the security of 5G technology. Even American mobile communication companies have had a long-distance debate with aviation technology institutions over this issue.

summary

The United States is currently considering allocating $1.9 billion to help domestic telecommunications operators build 5G. However, due to the high prices of 5G equipment from other companies, these subsidies are simply a drop in the bucket. The future development of 5G in the United States will still require more investment.

In early October this year, a US telecommunications operator stated that it had been using Huawei's equipment for seven years without any problems. Now it is required to replace Huawei's products but has only given very small subsidies. Such behavior has caused dissatisfaction among major companies.

We will have to wait and see whether the United States can continue to catch up faster in the field of mobile communications in the future.