5G mmWave deployment will bring major benefits in broadcast environments

The latest Analysys Mason study, commissioned by Qualcomm e Ericsson, points to the economic and operational benefits of millimeter wave deployment for 5G.

This analysis of the status, costs and benefits of 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) technology deployment in Europe, notes that millimeter wave spectrum in Europe could provide connectivity for mobile broadband users on public mobile networks, 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) services in homes and offices, and a wide range of other consumer, business and industrial uses.

Specifically on the transmissão side, the study concludes that mmWave spectrum could be especially useful in locations where data traffic volumes from mobile devices are particularly high. By relying on its technology, outdoor events such as stadiums games and concerts, large events, festivals and tourist sites could be covered, as well as indoor events that take place in concert halls ou offices.

Cost-effectiveness

Based on previous studies, Analysys Mason believes that deploying 5G mmWave, primarily in conjunction with the 3.5 GHz frequency and “other existing mobile spectrum in Europe,” but also on a standalone basis, brings significant economic benefit in a wide range of outdoor or indoor coverage scenarios. For each of the modeled use cases, the estimated benefit is between 5 and 20 times greater than the estimated cost, assuming millimeter wave is built on a “base case” enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) network deployment.

Aggregating all modeled use cases that will use mmWave, Analysys Mason estimates a total GDP benefit (through 2040) of more than €140 billion (cumulative), for about €20 billion of cost, in thirty European markets (EU27 plus Norway, Switzerland and the UK).

Operators in favor

Analysys Mason has also spoken to a number of fixed and mobile operators, both in the European market and in other regions, to gather views on how millimeter wave spectrum could be deployed to validate the models’ assumptions.

The interviews indicated that operators intend to use mmWave deployment in multiple outdoor and indoor environments (depending on network load and local market demand). Similarly, they pointed to a wide variety of use cases: mobile broadband in high-capacity locations, 5G-based FWA, smart industry, connected vehicles, e venue-specific coverage.

The operators also highlighted that millimeter waves will be able to be used to maximize the capacity of mobile networks (as frequencies can be reused more intensively without co-channel interference), as well as to enable greater flexibility in addressing different uplink and downlink capacity requirements.

A proven technology

The interviews, on the other hand, highlighted that 5G mmWave (millimeter wave) technology has already demonstrated its ability to provide “high capacity” in trials e commercial systems deployed to date. Today, multiple mmWave networks have been deployed worldwide on a commercial basis. However, European markets are still in the process of catching up with these deployments.

The study concludes that further progress in millimeter wave licensing in European markets, in line with the goals set out in the European Union’s 5G Action Plan (5GAP), will help to increase the security and acceptance of the millimeter wave ecosystem. On this, Janette Stewart, partner at Analysys Mason, comments, “This study demonstrates the importance of European regulators completing 5G licensing in all identified bands at the EU level.”

Qualcomm and Ericsson weigh in

Wassim Chourbaji, Senior Vice President of EMEA Government Affairs, Qualcomm Communications S.A.R.L., assesses the benefits of deployment in European territory: “It is clear from the report that deploying 5G mmWave alongside sub-6 5G deployments will bring significant positive economic impact to Europe. We are encouraged to see the positive progress made thus far in Europe to award 26GHz mmWave spectrum. It is clear however that there is much work to do to catch up with other regions around the world that are seeing the benefits of commercialising 5G mmWave services.”

Finalmente, Ulf Pehrsson, vice president and head of government and industry relations at Ericsson, concludes, “With close to 90 Ericsson live 5G networks across 5 continents and more in the pipeline, our experience shows that leading markets offer availability of 5G spectrum in all frequency ranges (low, mid and high). Europe has indeed harmonized spectrum in the three ranges and we urge nations to release the spectrum to pick up market speed. In particular, the millimeter wave is key to deliver very high capacity in dense areas and a wide range of industrial use cases. Its deployment building on enhanced Mobile Broadband existing deployments is key to bring the economy up post-covid19, as shown in this report.”