Where to with mm Wave Spectrum?

Future Wireless Technology ForumWilliam Stucke

mmWave - 29 May 2014

Issues to Consider•Need For Speed•What is Spectrum?•Spectrum Fees•Spectrum Licensing Concepts•Regulatory Framework•Licencing Models•Objective of the Workshop

The views expressed here are those of the Author and do not necessarily reflect those of his employer

Need For Speed•Fixed

–Copper–Fibre–Fixed Wireless (incl. Microwave)–Free Space Optics

•Mobile•Satellite•Spectrum shortage?

–Only if spectrum is inefficiently used–New spectrum bands are becoming useful

What is Spectrum?•“Spectrum” is the range of electromagnetic frequencies of interest.•ICASA regulates from 9 kHz to 1000 GHz (1 THz)•FM Radio uses from 87.5 MHz to 104 MHz•UHF TV Broadcasting uses from 470 – 860 MHz•Cellphones use 900, 1800, 2100 MHz bands, etc.•Visible light is 400 – 789 THz•ICASA only has a Spectrum Licensing Framework up to 30 GHz•This FWTF Workshop is about dealing with frequencies higher than 30 GHz

Spectrum Fees•ICASA introduced an Administered Incentive pricing Scheme for Spectrum, taking effect in April 2012

•This attempts to model market forces, by making use of seven factors for costing spectrum usage.

•There are two forms of the equation, one for PtP and one for PtMP uses of spectrum

•The assumption is that a Spectrum Licence is issued for a period of one year, and the fee for that year is paid in advance.

Spectrum Fee FormulaFee=(UNIT*BW*FREQ*CG*GEO*SHR*HOPMINI*UNIBI)

•Fundamental principle is paying for the amount of spectrum used:–Fee = Unit cost per MHz * Number of MHz–Fee = UNIT (R2000) * BW

•Modified by a number of numerical factors–Adds “incentives”–Encourages some uses, discourages others–Basic cost is multiplied by the factors, to increase or decrease the final fee

•The minimum fee is defined as R120, to ease administration

Terms Used•UNIT Cost per MHz (R2000) ZAR•BW Bandwidth MHz•FREQ Frequency Band Factor•CG Congestion Factor•GEO Geographical Factor•SHR Sharing Factor•HOPMINI Minimum Hop Length Factor•ASTER Area Sterilisation Factor•UNIBI Uni- or bi-directional Factor

FREQ Factor

Benefits and Defects•AIP Spectrum Pricing has been very effective•Simple spreadsheet easily available•Reduces cost of PtP links•Increases the cost of exclusivity•Penalises those who previously paid nothing – or very little•Increases efficiency•Led to significant amounts of spectrum being handed back•BUT •Higher frequency high bandwidth uses are unaffordable

The Problem with Fees at High Frequencies

Bandwidth BW 5000 (MHz)Frequency FREQ 60 000 (MHz)High Demand Spectrum?CG No Yes / NoHigh Density Geographic Area?GEO Low Density Low / HighShared Usage? SHR Shared Use Exclusive / SharedUnidirectional? UNIBI Bidirectional Bi- / Uni- Band Selected Minimum Hop FactorHop Length HOPMINI 1 km 38000 0 km 0

-5

Fee = UNIT * BW * FREQ *CG * GEO * SHR * UNIBI *HOPMINI

ANNUAL SPECTRUM FEE =R 25 000.00 = Π ( R 2 000.00 5000 0.05 1 0.1 0.5 1 1 )

Solution to the Fee problem?•Fairly simple – extend the FREQ table, giving lower values than 0.05 for Frequencies > 30 GHz

•The cost of the same 5 GHz bandwidth at 60 GHZ varies with the FREQ value thus:

Scenario FREQ Factor Cost in High Density Area Cost in Low Density Area

Current 0.05 R250,000 R25,000

Low 0.005 R25,000 R2,500

Lower 0.001 R5,000 R500

Spectrum Licencing•Concept of “Protection”•Primary User•Secondary User•Shared Use•Pre-defined Use•Licence Exempt•Dynamic Spectrum Assignment

Protection Allows many PtP Links

Regulatory Models•Licence Exempt•Licensing

–Pay a fee, use is (usually) coordinated with other uses, protection obtained

•Registration–Faster, cheaper, no protection?

•“Light Licensing” •Dynamic Spectrum Assignment

= ???

Licence Exempt Model•Works well with Wi-Fi in the 2.4 & 5.8 GHz bands – within limits

•Ideally suited for PECN uses, such as Personal Area Networks

•No provision for protection – suck it and see•Might not be so good for long range commercial PtP use.

Dynamic Spectrum Assignment Model•Registration in a Geolocation Database•Dynamic Spectrum Assignment – calculates possible interference. If none, use is authorised

•In effect, an automated licensed PtP Model•Same fee principle, with reduced FREQ factor•Fast response, no human intervention required under normal circumstances

Conventional Licensing•Well understood, well accepted•Good protection afforded•Same fee principle, with reduced FREQ factor•Slow and cumbersome•Inefficient•Expensive to implement

Over to You

Objective To inform the regulator of industry-relevant and available technologies which can have real impact here and now.

To propose regulations and frameworks that will enable new opportunities for the industry and hence benefit all customers, be they individuals, businesses or enterprise consumers.

Thank you

WFStucke@icasa.org.za

William@qpop.co.za