GSMA: unlocking spectrum will add huge benefits to global economy

A report published this week by mobile network trade body the GSMA suggests that $565 billion could be added to global GDP in the next 15 years, through the freeing of spectrum for the mobile industry to deliver “innovative 5G services.”

According to organisation, the report – ‘Socio-Economic Benefits of 5G Services Provided in mmWave Bands’ – is the first of its kind to quantify the potential impact of mmWave on next generation broadband.

A spokesperson said: “Next-generation 5G services will improve access to healthcare, education and mobility whilst reducing pollution and increasing safety. However, these outcomes rely on government support for the identification of sufficient millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum for the mobile industry at the next ITU World Radiocommunication Conference in 2019.”

The spokesperson continued: “mmWave spectrum will carry the highest capacity 5G services. It has the ideal characteristics to support very high data transfer rates and ultra-reliable, low latency capabilities, which will support new use cases and deliver the benefits of 5G to consumers and businesses around the world.”

Brett Tarnutzer, head of spectrum at GSMA, said: “The global mobile ecosystem knows how to make spectrum work to deliver a better future. Mobile operators have a history of maximising the impact of our spectrum resources and no one else has done more to transform spectrum allocations into services that are changing people’s lives.