Spectrum is a rare and therefore valuable asset. For a spectrum license owner it is equally reasonable to proceed immediately upon acquiring the license to deploying a network, and to cautiously abstain from sizeable investment in network assets until a better technical option becomes available. The recent designation by ITU's WRC-19 of spectrum bands that are 5G-friendly heightened the interest of investors on these parts of the spectrum. The millimeter wave spectrum became very early the center of attention attracting investments worth billions of US dollars. The motive behind the sudden increase of interest is the operation of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) networks raking high ARPU for its owners.
Due to the exponential growth of demand for spectrum resources the regulators find ways to ensure that these resources are not wasted by being kept "idle" and underutilized by their owners. A particular example is that of FCC setting up strict rules for the spectrum owners that did not make use of their asset at the 28GHz band. The licensees have the obligation to show that they provide Point-to-Point or Point-to-Multipoint signal coverage to at least 25% of the geographic area of the license. Licensees relying on fixed point-to-point links or other, low-power point-to-point connections must show that they have deployed at least one transmitter or receiver in at least 25% of the districts (census tracts) within the license area. Failure to satisfy these requirements by the 1st of June 2024 will result in automatic cancellation of the license.
Therefore operators need to decide on their next steps and actions in order to keep their valuable asset. There are many PtP and PtMP technologies available today that can address and utilize the acquired mmW spectrum.
The question is which networking technology helps generate more dollars per Hertz, has simplicity of planning and deployment, costs less to acquire and operate, and lasts longer.
Intracom Telecom can aid the operators save their spectrum assets with the WiBAS G5 new Point-to-MultiPoint Fixed Wireless Access platform operating in the mmW licensed spectrum of 24.25 - 29.5 GHz. The platform consists WiBAS G5 evo-BS which is the base station hub and WiBAS G5 Connect+ which is the terminal station that is deployed at the customer premises. WiBAS G5 system can deliver several hundreds of Mbps to residential and business subscribers thus enabling operators to deploy Ultra-Fast Fixed Wireless Networks in s quick and cost efficient manner.
The 28 GHz spectrum is also licensed for use by 5G networks. One of the great advantages of WiBAS G5 evo-BS PtMP base station is that can operate side by side with 5G systems in adjacent channels thanks to its intelligent software and compliance to established regulations for spectrum use. In case that an operator selects the option of deploying PtP links for saving their spectrum, WiBAS G5 can give a solution by its operational flexibility. The system can also operate in PtP mode by combining the base station hardware and the WiBAS G5 Connect+ terminal equipped with a parabolic narrow beam antenna, satisfying FCC's high power requirements for ''fixed point-to-point link'' radio transmission between point-to-point stations in the UMFUS (Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service).
For more details on the WiBAS G5 platform, please click on the respective logo.
