T-Mobile interested in using spectrum above 95GHz for 5G backhaul

May 9, 2018

T-Mobile has said that it plans to use 600MHz and mmWave spectrum for its 5G network, and now the carrier has identified some additional spectrum that it thinks could help with its 5G network.

In a filing with the FCC, T-Mobile has said that the spectrum above 95GHz would be good for 5G backhaul. T-Mo says that these bands can support wide bandwidths up to 5GHz, letting them carry high-bandwidth wireless traffic where it can be difficult to install fiber optic lines. “Their ability to carry data over short ranges makes the spectrum bands an ideal candidate for 5G backhaul,” T-Mobile says in its filing.

 

T-Mobile also says that the bands have narrow beamwidths, letting many links coexist in the same geographical area since tighter beams are less likely to cause interference.

 

Later in the filing, T-Mobile notes that the FCC proposes service rules covering the fixed use of spectrum above 95GHz available for licensing and that most of that spectrum is allocated for mobile operations, too, but that there are no mobile service rules for the spectrum. T-Mo generally supports this approach. “However, while technology does not exist today to support mobile applicatoins in frequencies over 95GHz, it may in the future,” T-Mobile says.

 

As an example, the 24GHz, 28GHz, and 39GHz bands were originally designated by the FCC for fixed operations, but they’re now being used for mobile as well. “In authorized fixed use of the spectrum above 95GHz, the Commission should therefore be mindful of the potential to use the spectrum for mobile service in the future.”

 

In all, T-Mobile suggests that the FCC could make 36GHz of spectrum in the 95-275GHz range available for backhaul use.

T-Mobile has said that it plans to use 600MHz and mmWave spectrum for its 5G network, and now the carrier has identified some additional spectrum that it thinks could help with its 5G network. In a filing with the FCC, T-Mobile has said that the spectrum above 95GHz would be good for 5G ...

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