The battle for the 6GHz spectrum band is hotting up in South Africa, mirroring international debates on the allocation of spectrum between Wi-Fi and IMT (mobile) operators. The core of this battle is the necessity for added bandwidth to satisfy the exploding demand for web connectivity.
On one aspect, mobile operators argue for extra spectrum to increase their community capacities; on the opposite, the Wi-Fi trade advocates for full entry to the 6GHz band, claiming it should ship larger worth, sooner web and seamless connectivity.
This “spectrum dilemma” was one of many key matters of dialogue on the Wi-Fi Now World Congress and the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance International Summit in Geneva, which I lately attended. The message was clear: the way forward for connectivity is dependent upon how effectively we allocate spectrum – and Passpoint and Open Roaming applied sciences could supply a viable resolution to stability the wants of each mobile and Wi-Fi operators.
Spectrum is the muse of recent communication, and its shortage is likely one of the greatest challenges we face in the present day. The 6GHz band is taken into account prime actual property for increasing high-speed web entry, whether or not by Wi-Fi or mobile networks.
To know the stakes, let’s think about an instance from just a few years in the past: when Rain turned the primary South African operator to supply really uncapped wi-fi companies, it sparked a debate. The CEO of Vodacom Group, Shameel Joosub, expressed concern on the time, stating that this mannequin would stretch community capability to breaking level. This exemplifies the continuing rigidity between bandwidth provide and demand, and his predictions have been later confirmed to be appropriate.
Quick-forward to in the present day, and the battle is obvious globally. As an example, in Zimbabwe there have been complaints about Starlink’s restricted capability in high-density areas like Harare, the place speeds typically fall under 1Mbit/s. Starlink, designed for rural, low-population areas, struggles to satisfy demand in cities. This highlights a bigger level: regardless of the know-how, capability limitations stay a priority.
The battle over 6GHz
Globally, the controversy over the 6GHz spectrum is already in full swing. In Africa, Morocco was one of many first international locations to open the decrease 6GHz band for Wi-Fi, adopted by South Africa, with Nigeria opening the complete band.
In distinction, international locations just like the US (and many of the Americas) have absolutely embraced Wi-Fi entry throughout the complete 6GHz band. Brazil is one other important participant, the place the consensus leans closely in direction of opening the complete band for Wi-Fi. The chairman of the Brazilian equal of South Africa’s communications regulator, Icasa, has already confirmed this route.
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The monetary advantages of allocating the 6GHz spectrum to Wi-Fi are arduous to disregard. Raul Katz, president of Telecom Advisory Providers and a world knowledgeable on the financial impacts of ICT, offered analysis at each the Geneva congress and earlier in Brazil, displaying that full Wi-Fi utilisation throughout the band would generate essentially the most income over a 10-year interval. The numbers communicate for themselves, but the controversy continues, as each IMT and Wi-Fi operators stake their declare.
When you evaluate GDP influence, product surplus and client surplus, allocating the complete band to Wi-Fi over a 10-year interval would generate US$698-billion, far more than if a giant chunk was reserved for IMT.
Enter Passpoint and Open Roaming
So, how can we resolve this deadlock? Applied sciences corresponding to Passpoint and Open Roaming supply a chic resolution that advantages each Wi-Fi and mobile operators.
Passpoint, which is already extensively used within the UK and India, permits for seamless, computerized switching between mobile to Wi-Fi networks with out the necessity for customers to manually log in every time they enter a brand new Wi-Fi zone. The magic of Passpoint lies in its authentication course of, which leverages Sim playing cards on telephones to authenticate customers robotically to Wi-Fi networks.
Open Roaming takes this idea additional by enabling customers to authenticate utilizing quite a lot of accounts – whether or not Google and even Fb – throughout any Wi-Fi hotspot or mobile community. This creates a seamless expertise, generally known as Wi-Fi offloading, the place mobile networks offload site visitors to Wi-Fi networks when potential, liberating up beneficial spectrum for IMT operators whereas offering customers with uninterrupted web entry.
This seamless connectivity mannequin was notably putting to me throughout my journey to Geneva. On the airport, it took me 20 minutes to attach, with a sophisticated and demanding portal to the Wi-Fi community, time that would have been saved if Passpoint or Open Roaming had been in place. The expertise drove residence the purpose that these applied sciences should not simply theoretical options however real-world instruments that may drastically enhance consumer experiences whereas optimising community efficiency.
Why South Africa ought to embrace Wi-Fi offloading
The implementation of Passpoint and Open Roaming in South Africa may revolutionise the way in which we take into consideration spectrum allocation. By encouraging Wi-Fi offloading, mobile operators may considerably cut back congestion on their networks, permitting them to allocate their accessible spectrum extra effectively. In the meantime, Wi-Fi operators acquire entry to the complete 6GHz band, delivering sooner, extra dependable web companies.
In Brazil, the place comparable debates over spectrum have unfolded, the choice to allocate the 6GHz band to Wi-Fi has led to larger revenues and a extra sturdy connectivity ecosystem. South Africa stands to profit from following an identical path, particularly as web utilization continues to climb exponentially.
Seeking to the long run
One other thrilling growth mentioned on the Wi-Fi World Congress was the function of synthetic intelligence – not the ChatGPT selection, however in community administration. AI could be employed to analyse community behaviour, predict congestion factors, and improve handover between mobile and Wi-Fi networks.
Through the use of AI to fine-tune these transitions, each IMT and Wi-Fi operators can make sure that customers expertise seamless, high-quality connectivity, at the same time as they transfer between completely different community varieties.
South Africa’s connectivity future hinges on discovering a stability within the 6GHz spectrum allocation. By embracing applied sciences like Passpoint, Open Roaming and AI-driven community optimisation, we will meet the calls for of each mobile and Wi-Fi operators.
The advantages are clear: extra environment friendly networks, enhanced consumer experiences and a futureproofed spectrum coverage that helps the continued development of the web throughout the nation.
- The creator, Paul Colmer, is government committee member of the Wi-fi Entry Suppliers’ Affiliation
- Learn extra articles by Paul Colmer on TechCentral
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