3G Americas' Contribution to CITEL

IX MEETING OF PERMANENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE II: RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INCLUDING BROADCASTING April 17 to 20, 2007 San Salvador, El Salvador

OEA/Ser.L/XVII.4.2 CCP.II-RADIO/doc. 1260/07 30 March 2007 Original: English

SPECTRUM FOR IMT-2000 SERVICES IN THE AMERICAS
 
(Item on the Agenda: 4.1 and 4.2)
 
(Document submitted by 3G Americas, LLC (USA))

Background

3G Americas LLC is a wireless industry organization dedicated to the seamless deployment and promotion of the GSM-based evolution to UMTS /HSPA and beyond in the Americas. Its Board members include Andrew, AT&T (USA), Cable and Wireless (West Indies), Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Nokia, Nortel Networks, Openwave Systems, Rogers Wireless (Canada), Research In Motion (RIM), , T-Mobile, Telcel Radiomóvil (Mexico), Telefonica and Texas Instruments.

CITEL has made great efforts and progress over the past few years to ensure that governments in the Americas region are cohesively planning spectrum for the benefit of consumers, operators, vendors and the overall economic development of the Western Hemisphere.

3G Americas recognizes that technological development for 3G services, market trends and the evolution of spectrum regulation will have a substantial impact on the availability of radio spectrum for new applications making the harmonization of radio spectrum usage increasingly complex.

It is because of such important considerations and long lasting effects of spectrum decisions that 3G Americas respectfully submits our viewpoints regarding spectrum policy and planning for the Americas.

3G Americas, LLC supports a policy of free market choice for the allocation of spectrum, along with the freedom for operators to choose their preferred technologies in allocated bands by representing the best interests of consumers, service providers, manufacturers and the economy. It recognizes that the explosive growth of wireless services in the Americas has made significant contributions to national universal service goals, and that further contributions will depend on a supply of spectrum consistent with the constantly expanding demand for mobile wireless services.

Governments and regulatory authorities in the Americas should follow a cohesive and transparent process in which an evaluation of the global competitive marketplace is carefully considered when additional spectrum is allocated for the mobile wireless industry. Considerations in this evaluation include the demand in growth of current commercial wireless services, transition to new wireless services, regional and global interoperability, economies of scale, interoperability, roaming and increased bandwidth requirements for new advanced communication services, such as IMT-2000 in both existing and planned new spectral bands.

It is a critical time for the wireless industry in the Americas. A cohesive spectrum plan for all the Americas is vital for the overall economic health of the wireless industry as well as the economic development of the Americas region. It is important to understand that economic health and industry prosperity from an Americas spectrum plan will lead to increased wireless service and universal service in all countries.

Recommendation

A spectrum plan for the Americas should not be fragmented, and as 3G Americas previously recommended to CITEL in 2002, 2003 and 2004, we advocated for the five main core bands for wireless services in the Americas which include 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz and 1710-1770 and 2110-2170 MHz bands. As a future consideration for IMT-2000 services, 3G Americas would recommend CITEL to consider including the 700 MHz band for the Americas. Frequency bands that are not harmonized for mobile services throughout the Americas may present difficulties, such as the availability of equipment and higher cost of infrastructure and handsets, as well as interoperability and roaming capabilities. It is desirable that frequency bands be common and consistent throughout the Americas to achieve economies of scale and to facilitate roaming. Such a designation will allow service providers, application developers and manufacturers to realize the highest economies of scale essential to the provision of the highest levels of cost-effective services to current and future wireless consumers at every socio-economic level.

Thus, 3G Americas would like to reiterate our support for the current bands identified in the Americas.

1. 3G Americas LLC is a wireless industry organization dedicated to the GSM-based evolution to UMTS/HSPA in the Americas. Its Board members include AT&T (Cingular) (USA), Cable and Wireless (West Indies), Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Nokia, Nortel Networks, Openwave Systems, Rogers Wireless (Canada), Research In Motion (RIM), Siemens, Telcel Radiomóvil (Mexico), Telefonica (Spain) and Texas Instruments.


2. 3G Americas is committed to assisting in the designation of common spectrum for IMT-2000 services and fully supports a harmonized spectrum plan for the Americas.


3. 3G Americas fully endorses the following options for common spectrum for IMT-2000 Services in the Americas:
   1. Spectrum Bands: Spectrum Bands 824-849; paired with 869-894
   2. Spectrum Bands: 1850-1910; paired with 1930-1990
   3. Spectrum Bands: 1710-1770; paired with 2110-2170
   4. Spectrum Band 700 MHz



4. Additionally, 3G Americas endorses Option 1920-1980; paired with 2110-2170 for those countries with PCS networks in the 1800 MHz bands only.


5. Allowing operators the opportunity to implement IMT-2000 services utilizing the common frequency bands endorsed above would be instrumental in achieving the goals of IMT-2000 within the Americas by facilitating global roaming while minimizing equipment costs and promoting economies of scale.