DL - 4G Americas

spectrum for mobile broadband use. One perfect example is in the U.S. where the National Broadband
Plan put forward by the U.S. administration in March 2010 calls for freeing up 500 MHz of spectrum for
mobile broadband use in the next 10 years, including 300 MHz in the next five years between 225 MHz
and 3.7 GHz. This is in response to the demand for mobile broadband services, which has already been
widely reported in this section of the white paper.
In addition to freeing up additional spectrum, the FCC has passed a rulemaking notice that provides for
flexible sharing of the TV bands such that the TV broadcasters maintain their primary right to access and
usage of the spectrum, but also allows for secondary users to access the spectrum under the new rules
that will be fully codified in new regulations. This rulemaking is significant since, for the first time, it
introduces a new licensing regime that allows for co-sharing of existing spectrum using new techniques
such as spectrum brokering, geo spatial databases for “right to use” determination and also promotes
new concepts for even better utilization such as cooperative/cognitive radio for finding and using
spectrum holes in a given spectrum and geo-location. This new flexible licensing/voluntary channelsharing
model could be used to open up additional federally allocated spectrum held by advantaged
users such as the DoD and other federal agencies, but would require new market, technology and
network constructs in order for the MNOs to be able take advantage of such flexible licensing regimes.
The fact that the FCC has taken action to free up and/or co-share valuable spectrum for wireless is a
clear indication that the demands for wireless data are growing fast and must be addressed.
4.7 SUMMARY
ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré said, “ICTs and broadband networks have become vital national
infrastructure — similar to transport, energy and water networks — but with an impact that promises to be
even more powerful and far-reaching. These key enhancements in wireless broadband can drive social
and economic development, and accelerate progress towards achieving the United Nations’ Millennium
Development Goals, or MDGs.” 97
“While the goals set for IMT-Advanced were considered by some to be very high, I am very pleased to
see that all stakeholders in the mobile wireless industry have risen to meet the challenge,” said Valery
Timofeev, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, in expressing his appreciation for this
worldwide effort. “I look forward to the ITU-R Recommendation for IMT-Advanced that will have a
profound effect on the development of state-of-the-art technologies for 4G mobile broadband.” 98
While technology is moving forward to deliver more connected devices and richer content and
applications, the number of subscriptions continues to grow along with an exponential increase in data
traffic thereby creating significant network capacity concerns for wireless operators. Operators are
increasing capacity in a number of ways to cope with the growth, including adding base stations and cell
sites, reallocating spectrum, improving backhaul through the addition of more T1s, and deploying fiber.
Coverage continues to improve with network upgrades as some operators make a huge effort to deploy
HSPA and HSPA+ in more spectrum bands. And it is the evolution of the 3GPP technology standards and
the rapid commercialization of products to support the standards that will offer next-generation solutions.
97 ITU paves way for next-generation 4G mobile technologies, ITU, 21 October 2010.
98 Ibid.
www.4gamericas.org February 2011 Page 41