Future wireless spectrum below 6 GHz: A UK perspective

Spectrum is a limited resource (especially below 6 GHz where most mobile and wireless systems currently operate) and optimizing its use is the target of national regulators in order to provide and deliver maximum benefit and services to the citizens. We present the UK perspective on the future wireless spectrum below 6 GHz, including plans and strategy of Ofcom (the UK telecommunications regulator) to make more spectrum available for wireless and mobile services. We identify capacity (especially indoors), coverage, machine-to-machine (M2M) and wireless backhaul as four major drivers that are expected to influence spectrum regulation in the coming future, and discuss the spectrum bands under consideration with respect to each. We then examine the amount and nature of future spectrum below 6 GHz. We find that, unlike currently allocated spectrum, most of the new spectrum (close to 80%) would be shared spectrum and it will be accessed via either licensed shared access (LSA) or opportunistic spectrum access (OSA) models. We outline a trend indicating that hybrid geolocation database plus sensing will be a dominant and more generally applicable spectrum access technique in the future when dealing with shared spectrum bands with incumbents not in the wireless services sector. On the other hand, some form of beacon signaling can enable efficient spectrum sharing among heterogeneous wireless systems assuming such signaling can be incorporated in a cost-effective manner. Finally we discuss 5G requirements under consideration and potential spectrum below 6 GHz to meet those requirements.