GSA Snapshot: LTE Spectrum,

Networks and Devices update

July 2017
Prepared by GSA based on information researched
and stored in the GSA Analyser for Mobile Broadband
Database - GAMBoD

LTE Growth
28 New LTE & LTE is the most successful and fastest growing mobile technology of all time. As
LTE-Advanced
of 18th of July 2017, GSA had tracked 782 operators in 200 countries investing
Operators in first
6 months of 2017 in LTE and 609 operators had commercially launched LTE or LTE-Advanced, 28
of those since the beginning of 2017. Band 3, 1800 MHz, continues to be the
frequency band most used by LTE operators with 10 of the 28 new operators
deploying LTE in this band. Table 1. Operators are also re-farming their
1800 MHz spectrum from 2G & 3G, to LTE, with a total of 42 additional LTE
Band 3 networks identified this year.

Table 1: New LTE Operators January-July 2017

Country Operator Frequency Band MHz
Spain Eurona (TDD) 3500
Anguilla FLOW 850/1900
Samoa Bluesky 700/1800
GSA has identified
Barbados FLOW 850
42 additional LTE
operators who are Tahiti Vini 800
now using Band 3 Somalia Somnet Telecom Pending Information
Burundi Econet Leo Pending Information
Madagascar Orange 1800
Libya Libyana Pending Information
Cook Islands Bluesky 700/1800
Sudan Sudani Pending Information
Botswana BTC 1800

GSA Snapshot |July 2017| LTE Spectrum, Networks & Devices Update

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 Country Operator Frequency Band MHz
Vietnam Viettel 1800
Afghanistan AWCC 1800
Tokelau Teletok 700
Gambia Qcell Pending Information
Bermuda Digicel (b13) 700
Nepal Ncell 1800
Kenya Telkom Kenya 800
NMI DoCoMo Pacific (b17) 700
Runion Free (Telco OI) 800/1800
Myanmar MPT 1800
Canada Ice Wireless Pending Information
San Marino TMS 1500 (to be confirmed)
Somalia Somtel Pending Information
Somalia Sahal Telecom 800
Vietnam Mobifone 1800
Guyana GTT 700

The sub 1 GHz bands are also used extensively; Band 20, 800 MHz is the
second most populous frequency range used and the 700 MHz Bands 12-13-
14-17 , APT700 Band 28, 900 MHz Band 8 and 850 MHz Bands -18-19 are all
in the top 10 frequency bands used for LTE. Figure 1.

Figure 1: LTE Frequency Bands - number of networks using main Bands

GSA Snapshot |July 2017| LTE Spectrum, Networks & Devices Update

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 LTE Devices Support
New LTE devices are coming to market consistently and the GSA GAMBoD
devices database identifies 8,623 different LTE User Equipment (UE) models
from Smartphones to Routers and Drones to Modules.

The July 2017 update to GAMBoD resulted in an additional 53% of devices

registered since June 2016. In alignment with the number of networks using
1800 MHz, support for Band 3 in devices is extensive, with 5,426 UE models
identified. Almost 1,500 new devices supporting Band 3 have been registered
in GAMBoD so far in 2017.

Phones, including smartphones are the most common Band 3 supporting

devices with Tablets and Routers
Figure 2: Band 3 - 1800 MHz UE Types
the next most populous. Figure 2.

Band 20, 800 MHz

Band 20, 800 MHz, the second
most utilized Band for LTE is also
well represented in the GAMBoD
devices database with 3,135 UE
models recorded.

Smartphones and phones account

for 67.8% of all these devices while
Routers are second with 14.7%
and Tablets are third with 9.1% of
Figure 3: Band 7 - 2600 MHz UE Types
all Band 20 devices. Over 900 new
Band 20 devices have been added
to GAMBoD this year.

Band 7, 2.6 GHz

The number of devices recorded in
GAMBoD supporting Band 7, the
third most popular frequency band
has increased to 5,042 as part of
the July update. Band 3 and Band
7 are also the frequencies most
supported in Cat-12 devices.

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 3500 MHz Developments
The 3300-4200 MHz frequency range, as outlined in the recent GSA white
paper The future of IMT in the 3300-4200 MHz frequency range, offers an
optimal balance between coverage and capacity, which will support a broad
range of 5G applications, including: Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/
VR), Ultra High Definition (UHD) video, smart home, smart manufacturing,
health care and drones. The 3300-4200 MHz band will also provide both
mobile connectivity on the go and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) for domestic
and business applications.

The CBRS Band (Citizen Band Radio Service) Band 48 is scheduled to be a

share resource in the US, and since this is still early in the development of this
band in the US, there are a limited number of Band 48 devices registered by
GSA in GAMBoD. Band 48 does overlap to Band 42 and Band 43 and in total
there are 134 UE models that cover these three bands.

Routers are the main device category, with some phones, tables and
femtocells. Figure 4.

Figure 4: Band 42-43-48 UE Types

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 About GSA
GSA (the Global mobile Suppliers Association) is a not-for-profit industry
organisation representing companies across the worldwide mobile ecosystem
engaged in the supply of infrastructure, semiconductors, test equipment, devices,
applications and mobile
support services.

GSA actively promotes the 3GPP technology road-map 3G; 4G; 5G and is a
single source of information resource for industry reports and market intelligence.
GSA Members drive the GSA agenda and define the communications and
development strategy for the Association.

Membership of GSA is open to any supplier of products; systems or services

related to the mobile industry and brings many benefits including access to
the GAMBoD database. The range of benefits includes enhanced discussion,
networking and influencing opportunities on the key industry topics, and unique
promotional/visibility opportunities for your company name, capabilities,
positioning and messages. More details can be found at https://gsacom.com/gsa-
membership/

Website http://www.gsacom.com
News/updates RSS Feed: https://gsacom.com/rss-feeds/
GSA LinkedIN group: www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2313721

Twitter: www.twitter.com/gsacom
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Global-mobile-Suppliers-Association-
GSA/123462771012551

NOTES:
Errors & Omissions Excepted

Contact

Contact: GSA Secretariat

Email: research@gsacom.com
Tel: +44 330 113 1572
GSA website: https://gsacom.com

GSA Snapshot |July 2017| LTE Spectrum, Networks & Devices Update

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