Title: The Promise and Potential of Upper Mid-Band Spectrum for 6G Networks
Introduction:
The relentless pursuit of higher data rates and the advent of services like fixed wireless access (FWA) and extended reality (XR) have driven a significant surge in data consumption. According to Open Signal, 5G users consume, on average, 2.7 times more data than their 4G counterparts. This surge is further amplified by services such as FWA and the metaverse/mobile gaming, which consume approximately 23 and 4 times more data, respectively, than traditional mobile data users, as per PwC analysis. In this blog, we explore the opportunities and challenges of the upper mid-band spectrum, known as frequency range 3 (FR3), and the enabling technologies for sustainable, energy-efficient 6G networks that promise ubiquitous coverage.
6G Spectrum Discussions:
To fully harness the potential of 6G, it is imperative to utilize the entire spectrum available for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) across low, mid, and high-frequency bands. The World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) held in Dubai, UAE, in December 2023, agreed on candidate bands for IMT identification at WRC-27, primarily for 6G applications. These candidate bands, shown in Figure 1, span the lower and upper mid-band frequencies.
The upper 6 GHz band (6425-7125 MHz) is also under consideration for both 5G and 6G, having been identified for IMT in various regions, including Region 1, Mexico and Brazil in Region 2, and Cambodia, Lao, and Maldives in Region 3.
Upper mid-band spectrum, or FR3 (7.125 – 24.25 GHz), is positioned between FR1 (410 – 7125 MHz) and FR2 (24.25 – 71.0 GHz) frequency bands. It offers significantly more spectrum than FR1 bands, enabling allocations of over 400 MHz per operator, compared to around 100 MHz in FR1. Additionally, as depicted in Figure 2, the path loss in FR3 is lower than in FR2 due to its lower carrier frequency, making it the golden spectrum for 6G, meeting both capacity and coverage needs.
Enabling Technologies for Sustainable 6G FR3 Deployments:
3.1 eXtreme-MIMO (X-MIMO) System for Upper Mid-band:
Samsung has been at the forefront of innovation and standardization in Full Dimension MIMO (FD-MIMO) technology for massive MIMO (M-MIMO), which has been a key differentiator for 5G over 4G. With the proposed eXtreme-MIMO (X-MIMO) system, Samsung aims to leverage its expertise to push the boundaries of MIMO systems further. This is crucial to accommodate the increasing data demand while achieving ubiquitous coverage, addressing the higher path loss in the upper mid-band compared to the 5G NR 3.5 GHz band.
By harnessing the power of high spatial multiplexing gain, X-MIMO promises to deliver the innovative technologies needed to bring this vision of a sustainable, high-performance 6G network to reality.
Conclusion:
The upper mid-band spectrum holds immense promise for the future of 6G networks, offering a golden opportunity to meet the ever-growing demand for higher data rates and improved coverage. With the development of enabling technologies like X-MIMO, the road to sustainable and energy-efficient 6G networks is becoming clearer, setting the stage for a new era in wireless communication.
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