SA to request more radio spectrum

A fast-growing appetite for cellphone data among South African consumers will see network operators plead their case for more radio spectrum in the coming weeks at the World Radio Communication Conference.

Cellphones‚ tablets and other wireless devices are the main drivers of internet traffic in the country and on the continent – all of which is putting pressure on existing spectrum allocations.

Mortimer Hope‚ director for spectrum and public policy in Africa for GSMA – an umbrella association that represents network providers and other affiliated entities –  said the appetite for spectrum also extended to the aeronautical industry, which  requires additional spectrum to enhance its plane-tracking methods.

The rise in cellphone trends such as the Internet of Things‚ which includes machine-to-machine services‚ has also given growing impetus to the call for extra spectrum allocation.

Spectrum is a precious and finite resource‚ hence SA and its continental peers having pushed for a move from analogue to digital TV. This will enable the release of spectrum hogged by analogue networks which‚ in turn‚ will accelerate the roll-out of super-fast wireless technologies.

Radio frequency comes in different bands and is used in the provision of services in broadcasting‚ cellphone networks‚ fixed telecommunications‚ satellite broadcasting‚ shortwave radio services‚ defence and aviation. The shortwave radio frequency is used for‚ among others‚ two-way radio and wi-fi connections.

SA and its peers will lobby for spectrum allocation in the sub-700MHz UHF band‚ which offers superior geographic coverage. This will be a clincher in connecting rural communities.

Hope said they would also motivate for more allocations to mobile in the 2.7-2.9GHz and 3.6-3.8GHz bands. In addition the state‚ its continental counterparts‚ cellphone operators and regulators will ask for access to the 1350-1518Mhz L-band spectrum frequencies.

However‚ Africa’s quest to access 3.6-3.8GHz (C-band) spectrum‚ used in satellite broadcasting‚ may encounter opposition among service providers in this space because of possible interference.

A GSMA report released this year estimated access to C-band spectrum for mobile services would decrease marginal costs for operators and could lead to lower prices for cellphone broadband.

The economic benefits of this for SA would be in the region of $511-million to $1.1billion – 13 times the cost of migrating existing services.

The communication conference is held every four years and is hosted by the International Telecommunications Union‚ which‚ among its other functions‚ administers spectrum. This year’s edition takes place in Geneva in November. Different states that attend are grouped into regions and treated as such at the event.

Hope said countries in the African Telecommunications Union had held preparatory meetings in the past year to come up with unified proposals.

He said the urban capacity demands on the continent and the need to give city dwellers access to high-speed cellphone broadband had highlighted the need for higher frequency spectrum.

This‚ he said‚ was also coupled with the requirement for lower frequency spectrum‚ below 1GHz‚ to provide wide-area cellphone broadband coverage that was more suitable for rural areas.

But which spectrum went where and to whom would only be determined in Switzerland.

Hope said once the decision was made‚ policymakers and regulators would then start the process of licensing the spectrum.

Satellite providers admit the C-band is vital for financial transactions‚ e-learning and telemedicine but say it cannot be shared with network operators.

Intelsat interim managing director for Africa sales Rhys Morgan said this was because sharing C-band had the potential to cause “excessive levels of harmful interference” and might preclude future use of this band for satellite services. “This could have a drastic impact on communications and critical services throughout the continent.”

Intelsat said research conducted by Euroconsult – in partnership with the European Space Agency – showed that sharing the spectrum with mobile wireless services would negatively affect satellite services‚ including public safety functions.

The interference could disrupt critical connectivity for businesses‚ states‚ relief workers and communities. Although not immediate‚ the impact would be felt over time‚ the study found.

However‚ Hope said any potential interference could be managed using relevant techniques. The C-band could‚ for instance‚ be segmented‚ with mobile using part of the band in urban areas and satellite using the rest in urban and rural areas.