The C frequencies (3.4 GHz to 3.8 GHz) and 2.6 GHz will be widely used by telecommunications operators in the Middle East, Africa and Europe for 5G networks. Nokia's regional CTO announced.
"In the United States, this started with the millimeter wave (between 24 GHz and 86 GHz), but in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, it is the C-band and 2.6 GHz frequencies that allow for wider coverage and greater better indoor coverage. C-band compared to mmwave, "said Middle East LaComparacion Aji Ed, CTO of Nokia Middle East and Africa.
Nokia has 48 commercial 5G contracts worldwide, including 12 with commercial operators.
In the Middle East, Nokia is using Zain in Saudi Arabia, which has launched the largest 5G network in the Middle East with more than 2,000 5G base stations, STC in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Of the 48 contracts, about 25% come from the Middle East and Africa.
With the millimeter wave, he said, the advantage is that it has much more spectrum than in the C band.
"An operator can obtain up to 400 MHz in millimeter waves, against 200 MHz in C band, but the catch is that the coverage will be very limited, up to 100 meters." Without any obstruction, the mm wave cover can reach 400 meters, "he said.
With C-band, on average, he said it could go up to 1,5 km, but obstacles such as high-rise buildings were congested, C-band coverage could go up to 500 meters.
When asked if mmwave was critical for 5G, he replied that it all depends on the use cases.
The hottest topic of discussion
"C-band can provide a good amount of spectrum for 5G versus 4G LTE, but when looking at specific scenarios in hotspots, like stadiums and large events, where a much higher bit rate is downloaded or downloaded, they are needed in a limited coverage area, so mmwave will be very useful, "Ed said.
New frequency bands for 5G deployment will be the subject of discussion at the meeting of ITU (International Telecommunication Union) members at the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in Egypt. .
The WRC runs from October 28 to November 22 and is organized by the ITU to review and revise the Radio Regulations.
Many operators around the world are streaming 5G over existing 4G infrastructure, the final 5G frequency has yet to be fixed. Non-autonomous means teleporting 5G on existing 4G and independent infrastructure means 5G radiating on a dedicated spectrum.
The UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has allocated C-Band (in which satellite operators also use these frequencies) for 5G deployment in the UAE.
Tareq Al Awadi, Executive Director of Spectrum Management at TRA and Chairman of the Arab Spectrum Management Group, recently told The Middle East Comparison that the ITU will focus primarily on C-Band, at least once a year. except for the millimeter band.
Some countries in the Arab world have 3.4 GHz and 3.8 GHz problems, while some countries have already started at 700 MHz for lower bandwidth and some countries, including Arab countries, have a lower frequency. They are also relevant for the L band (1-2 GHz).
Telecommunications operators in the United Arab Emirates - Etisalat and - operate in 5G in the C band and 2.6 GHz.
Ed said that mmwave is not available to deploy in the region and that the Arab countries will not focus on that now, but in the future, yes.