While WRC-23 identified portions of the upper 6 GHz band for IMT, there is emergent consideration of sharing between Wi-Fi and IMT in the range. Spectrum sharing is also under investigation between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks underpinned by the need for 6G to be sharing native by design. Read more...

The mantra of spectrum management is the efficient use of scarce radio frequency resources. Over recent years, a number of regulators have sought to enable third party access to unused or under-utilised licensed spectrum resources. Notable examples of this activity are found in the UK, Australia and in several nations… Read more...

Countries in Africa continue to implement unlicensed 6 GHz policies in the 5925—6425 MHz range, while the Ivory Coast is considering licensed upper 6 GHz spectrum. While nations in the Americas have typically implemented unlicensed 6 GHz policies, there is also recent interest in licensed upper 6 GHz spectrum in… Read more...

Regional and national 6G roadmaps are seeking to align with the ITU’s IMT-2030 (6G) framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, along with standards developments as they progress in 3GPP. In 2024, national agendas are moving from concepts and visions to more concrete and directional strategies. While many of… Read more...

Several nations in the Americas that have assigned spectrum for private networks are now planning to assign additional spectrum resources across a growing array of spectrum bands targeted for local use in the region. Brazil, Canada, Colombia and the US are also pursuing new spectrum sharing frameworks for third party… Read more...

While different stakeholders continue to lobby for and against spectrum set-asides for private networks, PolicyTracker’s updated private networks benchmark shows that a growing number of policy planners around the world are assigning dedicated spectrum resources. This Research Note highlights different stakeholder positions on set-asides and examines the policy objectives driving… Read more...

Auction formats serve many masters. They started simple but failed to satisfy the flexibility requirement. By giving bidders more options, they became more complex. The most recent trend is back towards simpler formats. Read more...

The past 12 months has seen the leading economies wrestling with a new policy issue—satellite direct-to-device services—as well as assigning mid-band spectrum and finalising positions on 6 GHz. Read more...

Brazil typically licences auctioned spectrum on a regional basis and has identified multiple spectrum bands for use by private networks. Most recently, regulator Anatel has earmarked 4.9 GHz for 5G and is developing its assignment approaches for reclaimed 700 MHz spectrum and unsold spectrum. The regulator is also consulting on… Read more...

Telefónica is a diversified telecommunications group operating mainly in Europe and Latin America. It provides extensive 4G coverage and continues to build out its 5G and 5G standalone networks. It had 298.6 million mobile customers at the end of 2023. Read more...