Governments from South Korea, the U.S., and Japan are joining hands in order to establish policies on frequencies for 5G network. These three countries have formed a consultative group to establish 28GHz band as the standard for 5G network and are going to work together to discuss about making 28GHz band as the international standard.
It was found out on the 19th that representatives from governments of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan and businesses from these three countries formed ‘28GHz Initiative’ and held their first private meeting. 28GHz Initiative is a meeting for experts from these three countries that are pushing for commercialization of 5G network and was proposed and started by MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICP and Future Planning) and TTA (Telecommunications Technology Association of Korea).
These three countries’ representatives who are responsible for policies on frequencies, standardization organizations, and 80 experts attended this first meeting and discussed about technologies that utilize 28GHz band and methods to respond to international standardization.
28GHz band was presented by MSIP and the U.S. to ITU (International Telecommunications Union) as a candidate for international standard of 5G band. However it was excluded as one of candidates by ‘WRC-19 (World Radiocommunication Conference 2019)’ that selects standards for frequencies because China, Middle-Eastern countries, and some European countries are opposing 28GHz band from being selected as the standard by saying that they are using 28GHz band for satellite telecommunication.
These three countries confirmed their positions through 28 GHz Initiative that they will push 28GHz band to be the international standard and work together. Even though standardization does not happen in 2019, they agreed that they will not be late in commercializing related technologies.
They have been speeding up development of 5G services that utilize 28GHz since last year. South Korea selected 28GHz band as the frequency that they will use during 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. FCC (Federal Communications Commission) supplied 28GHz band as the first commercialized frequency to major mobile network providers such as Verizon and AT&T. Japan is also developing technologies, which utilize 28GHz band, with intent to commercialize 5G network during 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
They agreed that 28GHz is the suitable frequency for commercializing 5G network from technical aspect. 28GHz band can use frequencies between 26.5 and 29.5 GHz. It is considered as the only band that can distribute ultra-wide bandwidth with over 800MHz to two to three mobile network providers so that they can provide ultra-fast mobile network with more than 20Gbps which is one of the conditions of 5G technologies.
28GHz Initiative confirmed support from global equipment and chipset manufacturers regarding 28GHz band and shared roadmaps of development of technologies. Chipset and equipment manufacturers also verified the fact that formation of ‘one chip’ between 28GHz band with different frequency is possible through technologies when they manufacture modems and equipment for international purposes. This indicates that they will develop equipment by using international frequency that will be determined by ITU and 28GHz band.
28GHz Initiative decided to hold meetings regularly as it has decided to hold meetings in the U.S. and Japan in June of 2017 and at the end of 2017 respectively. “If South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, which are countries that are strong in telecommunication field, join forces, it will have significant impact in making 28GHz band as the international standard.” said an expert who attended 28GHz Initiative.
MSIP and TTA, FCC, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 5G MF (Mobile Forum), IDA (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore), Sweden embassy, and others attended 28GHz Initiative. Businesses such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei, Qualcomm and Intel also attended this meeting. Three mobile network providers in South Korea, Verizon, and NTT DOCOMO attended this meeting as observers.
Staff Reporter Park, Jisung | jisung@etnews.com
