6G's Spectrum Needs Seen as Big but Also Facing Skepticism

Mobile networks face the danger of "running out of steam by the end of the decade" in terms of available capacity, given skyrocketing data demand, Peter Vetter, Nokia Bell Labs Core Research president, said Wednesday at the 2023 Brooklyn 6G Summit. Even absent new use cases, 6G will require access to more spectrum to fill that capacity hole, he said. One potential hurdle is possible skepticism among regulators globally about the need for spectrum for 6G due to a perception that 5G spectrum hasn't been used and 5G's potential hasn't panned out as expected, GSMA senior spectrum adviser Veena Rawat said. Every World Radiocommunication Conference sees calls "for spectrum for a G -- 3G, 4G, 5G," Rawat said. Fabiano Chaves, Nokia's head-spectrum standardization, North America, said most administrations understand the need for study of some bands for terrestrial mobile, with the hang-up being which bands and how much spectrum is needed.

"The challenge here is there's no low-hanging fruit left” of easily and readily available spectrum, said Jayne Stancavage, Intel vice president-policy and regulatory affairs. She said 2023 WRC discussions about what bands to study for 6G "will be very challenging" and consensus likely won't be reached until the very end of the Nov. 20-Dec. 15 conference.

The mobile industry clearly needs more spectrum for 6G, especially spectrum that allows coverage with capacity, which is why particular attention is being paid to 7-15 GHz band, where wide bands can be found and still provide wide-area coverage, said Chaves.

In what it called its Technology Strategy 2030, released Tuesday, Nokia said it expected global telecom network traffic to grow ‘dramatically” until 2030, with compound annual growth rates of 22%-25% due to AI and machine learning. In response, it said, networks will need to use AI and machine learning themselves. Beyond then, the 2030s will bring such high-data-demand applications as 3D holographic video and more-robust "digital twinning" -- virtual simulations of real-world objects or systems -- that includes visual components, Vetter said.

Multiple speakers urged readying a spectrum pipeline now for 6G. Intel's Stancavage said readying for 6G requires that the regulatory environment and spectrum pipeline be in place before commercialization comes, such as what spectrum bands might be available for equipment makers. “I already feel like we’re behind” even though a 6G rollout is years out, she said.

Pointing to expectations that NTIA's national spectrum strategy will be released by year's end, Derek Khlopin, NTIA deputy associate administrator, said, "We're close." He said spectrum sharing will be a necessary part of 6G and needs to be designed that way in the crafting of its standards. That sharing won't be just between the government and the private sector, but also among private users, he said.