Since its formal commercialization in the past two and a half years, the mainland 5G industry has made great progress and progress, and has become a key infrastructure supporting the digitalization, networking and intelligent transformation of the economy and society.
According to the latest data, the total number of 5G base stations on the mainland has reached 1.4 million, accounting for more than 70% of the world,000, making it the world's largest and most technologically advanced 5G independent networking network. 5G end-users reached 450 million, accounting for more than 80% of the world's total.
As 5G application scenarios become more concrete, the new value brought by connectivity will promote the development of society and industry. At the 2C end, the pulling effect of 5G on ARPU is obvious, becoming the key to operators' revenue growth, and the 5G basic disk has been rock solid; at the 2B end, 5G application scenarios have been successfully expanded, new business models and uses have sprung up, and 2B new blue oceans have sailed away.
As GSMA President Mats Granryd has said, "Without 5G spectrum, there would be no 5G.". As the "first resource" for the development of the mobile communication industry, the success of China's 5G is closely related to its forward-looking, scientific and accurate spectrum resource allocation. It can be said that sufficient spectrum resources, reasonable allocation methods, and continuous and efficient supply not only lay the foundation for the sustained and healthy development of China's 5G, but also point out the direction for the development of the global 5G industry.
Chinese wisdom
Among the global operator groups, China Mobile can be said to be the best representative of the successful commercial use of 5G. Gao Tongqing, deputy general manager of China Mobile, pointed out that the experience of the rapid development of China Mobile 5G is inseparable from the blessing of the three core elements of spectrum, technology and joint creation.
As the starting point of the mobile communication industry, spectrum is the most important and can be said to be the first resource. "Scientific coordination and accurate allocation of spectrum resources not only ensure the network performance necessary for commercial applications of 5G at this stage, but also reduce the deployment cost of 5G networks."
First, adequate spectrum resources.
At present, the demand for radio spectrum is growing rapidly, the "golden frequency band" below 6GHz is very tight, and the frequency use contradiction between IMT services and other terrestrial services and space services is becoming increasingly prominent. Up to now, China has planned about 1200MHz bandwidth spectrum for IMT systems in the low- and medium-frequency bands, of which 770MHz bandwidth spectrum resources have been licensed for 5G. At the same time, at the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference, the mainland promoted the establishment of the WRC-23 1.2 topic, proposing to add 6-7GHz frequency bands to the IMT system. For millimeter waves, promote the addition of 5G globally coordinated frequency divisions in the 26GHz, 40GHz, and 70GHz bands.
Second, a reasonable distribution.
Unlike many countries that adopt a simple and completely market-based spectrum auction system, mainland China adopts the method of spectrum allocation. Grid believes that spectrum is at the heart of digital inclusion, and whether it is properly allocated will directly affect the mobile communications industry. The GSMA study found that the negative impact of high spectrum prices on society is very obvious, and there is a necessary relationship with negative consumer experiences, such as slow network deployment, reduced quality of service and poor mobile coverage.
Third, continuous and efficient supply.
Medium frequency is the mainstay, low, medium and high frequency coordination: On the basis of comprehensively considering the characteristics of the high, medium and low frequency bands, the regulatory authorities will play a pioneering and basic role in spectrum policies to support the rapid large-scale deployment of 5G. Focusing on the mid-band, it is the first in the world to release a 5G mid-band frequency use plan, using the 3.5GHz and 4.9GHz bands, as well as the recultivated 2.6GHz band for 5G. This fully releases the value of the iftry and achieves the best balance between the network coverage capacity and the overall construction cost.
Of course, but with the gradual improvement of 5G network coverage, operators are seeking to increase coverage in rural and sparsely populated areas, and the value of low frequencies is beginning to stand out. Mainland China will introduce 700MHz into the IMT plan and achieve full network coverage through cross-network roaming.
In addition, it is important to avoid fragmentation of spectrum resources. Grid pointed out that narrow channels mean that networks are denser, communication terminals are more complex, and the cost and carbon footprint are higher, so efficient and reasonable spectrum supply is crucial for 5G development. In terms of the two main spectrums of 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz, the mainland has achieved at least 100 MHz of continuous IF spectrum bandwidth for each basic telecom operator, while the recultivated 2.1 GHz band has also achieved 2×45 MHz, further improving the spectrum utilization efficiency.
Continuous leadership
How to maximize the potential of "first resources" and continue to enable 5G success? Operators' access to spectrum in the low, medium and high frequency bands will reduce the cost of services for consumers, promote the achievement of social goals, and promote economic development.
Continue to expand the low frequencies. Given the continued expansion of 5G coverage, low-band spectrum below 1 GHz (e.g., the 600MHz band) is a scarce resource, and allocating to operators will increase rural network capacity and narrow the digital divide.
Continue to cultivate the medium frequency. The GSMA study shows that an average of 2 GHz of medium-band spectrum will be required between 2025 and 2030, a global need that all governments and regulators must carefully consider. At the same time, we must make reasonable planning to promote mainstream commercial frequency bands such as 2.3GHz, 2.6GHz, 4.9GHz and potential new frequency bands such as 6GHz to become global unified 5G spectrum, and at the same time adopt a continuous, "block" way of scientific distribution to provide better and rich spectrum resources for the development of 5G. On the other hand, we will promote the recultivation of 2G and 3G high-quality frequencies to achieve more efficient spectrum utilization.
Actively expand high frequencies and introduce millimeter waves. Millimeter wave has the natural advantages of large capacity and large bandwidth, which can not only meet the network capacity requirements of densely populated areas, but also provide support for automatic control, VR/AR, detection and other services, and is expected to play an important role in 5G network deployment. At present, the standard, technology and ecology of millimeter wave have matured and can fully support commercial use.
Overall, the current stage of mainland 5G is leading, thanks to the correct and efficient use of spectrum, the "first resource". However, if mainland 5G is to continue to lead, it is more necessary to continue to make correct and efficient use of the "first resource" to accelerate the commercial process of ultra-low frequency and millimeter wave. "The 5G road is long and its repair is far away, and the use of spectrum needs to be explored up and down." (C114 Yue Ming)