Refarming
Spectrum Refarming
There is a growing interest in deploying UMTS in the 900MHz frequency band – a policy known as ‘spectrum refarming’.
Spectrum refarming will offer operators a number of benefits:
- More versatility in the services they offer
- Economical roll-out of higher data rate services to a larger percentage of the rural population
- Improved in-building penetration
- Significant economic benefits, especially in less developed countries
- Stimulation of capital investment
- Increased productivity through better communications
- Job creation and better business working practices.
However, spectrum refarming also poses significant challenges for operators and regulators:
- Existing GSM 900MHz infrastructure can introduce interference into UMTS 900MHz networks, so guard band and transitional zones may be needed
- Operators may need to carefully manage voice and data traffic loads between the 900MHz and 2100MHz bands to ensure there are no dropped connections resulting in loss of revenue
- Not all operators have 900MHz spectrum.
Amendment of the GSM Directive
In November 2008 the European Commission published a proposal to amend Council Directive 87/372/EEC (‘the GSM Directive’) which restricts the use of part of the 900MHz spectrum band to GSM access technologies only.
The amendment of this Directive would open the frequency band to advanced mobile data and multimedia services such as 3G/HSPA, increasing the number and choice of wireless services available in the EU, expanding wireless services coverage and reducing network deployment costs.
The GSMA supports the amendment of the GSM Directive and hopes for a quick resolution to this issue.
