Spectrum - 5G Spectrum Report: February 2020

Feb2020 5G Spectrum Report

Global Overview

Worldwide, 40 countries have completed allocations of 5G suitable (dedicated or technology-neutral) spectrum since 2015.

A total of 54 countries have announced plans and approximate dates for allocating 5G-suitable frequencies with timelines for completion between now and end-2022 (including licences dedicated to 5G and technology-neutral licences that could be used for 5G).

In Europe, 19 countries have already completed auctions of 5G suitable (dedicated or technology-neutral) spectrum (Albania, Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK).

Twenty-nine countries are known to have 5G-suitable (dedicated or technology-neutral) spectrum auctions/allocations planned (with allocation dates tentatively set) between 2020 and 2022 (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guernsey, Greece, Hungary, Jersey, Kosovo, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden , Ukraine and the UK).

In the Asia-Pacific, allocations have happened in seven countries: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, and Thailand. There are planned 5G-suitable auctions/allocations confirmed in at least eleven countries in Asia Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand) between 2020 and end 2022.

In the Americas, the USA typically issues spectrum on a technology-neutral basis, making any such awards potentially useable for 5G, and it has already allocated 5G-suitable spectrum in sub-1 GHz, sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands. Other countries to have completed 5G-suitable allocations include Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico and Uruguay. Meanwhile, nine countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru and the USA) have announced timetables for future auctions/allocations of spectrum potentially suitable for 5G.

Of the countries in the Middle East and Africa, six countries in the Middle East (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE) have concluded allocations of spectrum suitable for 5G services. Meanwhile, Tanzania has awarded spectrum at 700 MHz for ICT services and Ghana has auctioned spectrum at 800 MHz for mobile services. Allocations are planned in Cyprus, Israel and South Africa as well as in the territories of Mayotte and Réunion.

Licensing activity detail by country
This section summarises, by region and country, the 5G spectrum activity observed by GSA in the course of its research programme. This includes bands being considered for 5G, soon to be auctioned, considered for auction and those already granted to operators. All dates indicated for auctions are correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication, but should be treated as provisional or aspirational until all consultations and legal processes have been completed.

In addition to those countries with licensing plans specifically designated for 5G, the information also includes a number of other countries considering, planning or in the process of auctioning bands that could be used for any technology (licensed on a technology-neutral basis), or used to deliver mobile broadband services and hence are potentially useable for 5G but are not explicitly designated for 5G at this stage.

Feb2020 5G Spectrum Report

This full report is available for GSA Members and Associates. An executive summary is available here to download

©GSA 2020

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