Spectrum equals capacity, and capacity is required if everyone is going to use the Internet. The simple issue is that adding four billion new users globally will exceed network capabilities, all other things being equal.
In India, spectrum is vital because “we only have one network in India, the mobile network,” serving 1.2 billion connections, unlike the situation in other countries where there are ubiquitous fixed networks and cable TV, said Rajan Mathews. Cellular Operators Association of India director general.
“Spectrum is one of the most important challenges” because “there is very little,” Mathews said.
Recently, in fact, all spectrum presently used by all incumbents was put back out for auction, forcing companies to pay for spectrum they already were depending upon to serve existing customers. They wound up paying $75 billion spent on spectrum, Mathews said, raising $10 billion for the Indian government.
And there is not so much spectrum authorized for use. Globally, each mobile operator has about 50 MHz to 60 MHz worth of spectrum. The typical Indian mobile operator has about 20 MHz to 25 MHz worth of spectrum.
Mathews said spectrum prices in in India are about 30 percent over global norms, while 90 percent of equipment also is imported, and at prices above global norms.
On the demand side, “the average revenue per user, per month, is $3, not $75 like elsewhere globally,” said Mathews.
Globally, the rate of growth rate of adding new Internet users is slowing, said Chris Weasler, Facebook director of global connectivity. “We have gotten the easy ones.”
“That’s one reason we do solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles,” he said. New platforms are required that allow mobile operators to affordably supply coverage to rural and isolated areas.
Facebook has designed and tested an open source, cost-effective, software-defined wireless access platform aimed to improve mobile connectivity in remote areas of the world, called “Open Cellular.”
Open Cellular is a reference model intended to be used by platform suppliers, who can use it to provide lower-cost access, allowing networks to reach rural and hard-to-reach areas, with hard-to-sustain business models.
The model also should allow smaller organizations to contemplate building their own localized access networks, when necessary.
In many cellular network deployments, the cost of the civil and supporting infrastructure (land, tower, security, power, and backhaul) is often much greater than the cost of the cellular access point itself.
The model also should allow smaller organizations to contemplate building their own localized access networks, when necessary.
In many cellular network deployments, the cost of the civil and supporting infrastructure (land, tower, security, power, and backhaul) is often much greater than the cost of the cellular access point itself.
So one of the goals was to make architectural and design improvements that would result in lower costs. The platform supports a range of communication options from 2G to LTE.
That is not all Facebook is working on. Facebook also drove creation of the Telecom Infra Project, developing open source telecom platforms, ranging from access to core networks.
Lance Condray, Facebook telecom architect, said the Telecom Infra Project now has 300 members. “It’s like setting u Wi-Fi, not a 30-year tower,” Condray said.
The reason for doing so is that third-party partners sometimes work in Africa where mobile can’t make a business case.
“Spectrum restrictions can be an issue,” in that regard. “We’d like to see that liberalized, allowing third parties to use mobile licensed spectrum,” said Condray. The way it works: the third party builds the network and operates it, and shares revenue with the spectrum holder.
“We have teams at Facebook looking at every conceivable option for access,” said Condray. “We are agnostic about the form of access.”
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