Vodafone says 6GHz spectrum to avoid capacity crunch as 5G services rise

Vodafone has achieved a 5G download speed of up to 5Gbps in a trial test in Spain with the 6GHz band. This is the British mobile and broadband operator’s bid to showcase the potential of the airwaves to counter any crunch in capacity as more fifth-generation services emerge over the next five to 10 years.

“Without a fair and balanced allocation of 6GHz spectrum, mobile users worldwide could face a major capacity crunch within just five years. Additional 5G spectrum would boost the digital transformation of businesses and public sector organisations, and support the European Commission’s ambition to have fast connectivity within reach of all populated areas by 2030,” said Alberto Ripepi, Vodafone Chief Network Officer.

Vodafone engineers in Spain, using a smartphone tuned to the “anticipated amount of 6GHz spectrum band that will be made available in European countries”, achieved download speeds of up to 5Gbps – approximately twice what today’s networks are capable of – and on average 2Gbps across various indoor locations, as per the telco’s press release.

It emphasised that nearly 75% of all mobile traffic originates from users at home, in the office, or in enclosed public places such as cafes, bars, shops, and gyms.

The demonstration involved the installation of 6GHz equipment on an existing 5G site in Madrid covering Vodafone’s campus and the surrounding area, including several indoor locations. It also used the Massive MIMO antenna technology.

A 200MHz channel, which Vodafone said is the anticipated amount of spectrum that would be made available per mobile operator in each European country, was used which is “approximately double the bandwidth used for 5G services today, enabling higher speeds and capacity for evolved 5G networks”.

Vodafone said it will present its findings ahead of a crucial meeting of national regulators and industry members next month at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) in Dubai which will decide the future use of the 6GHz band.

Vodafone and other telcos are lobbying for the upper 6GHz spectrum band to be allocated for mobile services, and also promote the harmonisation of 5G services across different geographical regions and “balance out the allocation of the lower section of the band already allocated to Wi-Fi services”, as per the company.

There is an urgent need to free up more spectrum, Vodafone noted, estimating that the demand across Europe to grow by 30% every year as more devices and services such as augmented reality headsets, health sensors and vehicles, are connected to 5G.

Deutsche Telekom (DT), too, recently claimed to achieve a data rate of 12 gigabits per second with “slight fluctuations” in tests at Alzey, Germany, by using the additional frequency spectrum at 6GHz.

Elsewhere, in India, telecom players represented by lobby body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) are at odds with tech companies over the use of 6GHz band. While telcos want the 6GHz band to be auctioned for 5G mobile services to be able to serve the growing demand for bandwidth, the tech cos by contrast say that this band should be delicensed to drive broadband penetration via Wi-Fi in the country.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has opened the 6GHz band to a new class of very low-power devices that will operate alongside other Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

The US telecom watchdog said its new rules on 6GHz will spur an ecosystem of cutting-edge applications, including wearable technologies and augmented and virtual reality, that will help businesses, enhance learning opportunities, advance healthcare opportunities, and bring new entertainment experiences.