The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Radio Frequency Administration conducts a survey on 5G dedicated frequency demand

According to information from the official website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the typical application scenarios and frequency usage requirements of the 5G Industrial Internet and further promote the high-level development of the intelligent manufacturing industry, from November 2 to 4, 2020, the Radio Management Bureau of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology went to Shanghai and Guangdong to conduct in-depth research on 5G Industrial Internet applications and dedicated frequency requirements.

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The research team visited Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd. of COMAC, Mawan Smart Port of China Merchants Port, the intelligent manufacturing production line of Huawei Southern Factory, Gree 5G Industrial Internet workshop, etc. to learn about the typical applications of 5G in the Industrial Internet, such as digital twins, AGV, remote control, detection and verification, and intelligent scheduling. They gained an in-depth understanding of the requirements of various application scenarios for 5G network bandwidth, network latency, reliability, and security. They had in-depth exchanges with relevant personnel from manufacturing companies and basic telecommunications operators on application scenarios, network architecture, solutions, operation and maintenance models, and listened to opinions and suggestions on the dedicated frequency planning of my country's 5G Industrial Internet.

This also means that the work around the dedicated frequencies for the 5G industry (including the industrial Internet) has taken another key step forward. At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology pointed out in the "Notice on Promoting the Accelerated Development of 5G" that it would release the frequency use plan of some 5G millimeter wave bands in a timely manner, carry out research on the dedicated frequency planning for the 5G industry (including the industrial Internet), and implement the technical test frequency license in a timely manner.

The industry has been discussing the use of frequencies, construction, and operation and maintenance of 5G private networks, and different countries have different considerations.

Take Germany, a manufacturing powerhouse, for example. It has given the green light in this regard. In the spring of 2019, the German Federal Network Administration auctioned 5G frequencies to operators such as Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Telefónica, while reserving 3700-3800MHz for companies to build their own 5G private networks. At the end of the same year, Germany officially opened up 5G private network frequency band applications. Companies can apply for the spectrum, obtain a license, and pay a lower spectrum usage fee to build a 5G private network independent of the large network.

Data shows that as of September 21, 78 applications for 5G independent private network licenses have been received, of which 74 have been approved. It is reported that Germany is preparing to allocate the 26GHz frequency band by the end of this year to further meet the large bandwidth requirements of 5G industry applications.

In this regard, there are also some different views in the industry. Guan Zhou, general manager of public policy for GSMA Greater China, pointed out that the successful launch of 5G services depends on timely access to the appropriate amount and type of spectrum. As the competition to launch 5G services becomes increasingly fierce, governments, regulators and the mobile industry need to work together to expand 5G coverage and realize its full potential.

Guan Zhou believes that directly allocating spectrum to different vertical industries may lead to potential fragmentation and inefficiency. The government should increase the allocation of spectrum resources to mobile operators, make full use of the rich experience and strong capabilities of mobile operators in spectrum efficiency optimization, and improve the resource utilization efficiency and benefits of the whole society.

Senior experts from domestic operators suggested strengthening frequency supervision and being cautious about 5G dedicated frequency applications from non-communication companies. After years of hard work and full competition, domestic operators' network capabilities have reached the world's leading level. They have built and operated the world's largest network with the most users and have a high level of specialization.

He believes that in the 5G era, operators can use 5G network slicing capabilities to provide vertical industries with virtual private networks with guaranteed service quality to meet the specific needs of customers in different industries. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully approve applications for 5G private network frequencies, save spectrum resources, give full play to the professional capabilities of operators, improve industry concentration, and avoid network security risks.