BARCELONA�Federal Communications CommissionerJessica Rosenworcel addressed the future of mobile spectrum at theMobile World Congressin Barcelona this week.
�5G services are poised to provide speeds more than 10 times faster than today�s 4G networks, with lower latency � and as a result, a whole new world of wireless opportunities,� Rosenworcel said.�
However, she noted that there are both technical and regulatory challenges standing between consumers and this cool future.
�To get from here to there will take, you guessed it, spectrum,� she said. �More than that, it will take new, creative ideas about spectrum policy that have not always been front-and-center in the 4G past.
Rosenworcel proposed three principles to move forward to 5G.
- Currently, the bulk of 4G networks are built on spectrum frequencies from 600 MHz to 3 GHz. Rosenworcel says the U.S. will need to bust through the 3 GHz ceiling and create possibilities for millimeter wave spectrum in the airwaves at 24 GHz and above.
- Good spectrum policy involves a mix of licensed and unlicensed airwaves. �
- It�s time for creative licensing policy as demand for our airwaves grow.
��5G technology can help us get there. That is, if we get our spectrum policies right,� Rosenworcel said. �And that strikes me as worth the effort.
