Market Update: LTE at

850 MHz (bands 5, 18 and 19)

Prepared by GSA based on information in the GSA

Networks, Technologies & Spectrum (NTS) and GAMBoD
databases

December 2017

©Copyright 2017 Global mobile Suppliers Association 1

29 operators are Whilst spectrum at 850 MHz is predominantly used in 2G and 3G networks,
investing LTE at it has also emerged as an important minor band for LTE. GSA has identified
850 MHz
29 operators that are investing in 850 MHz for LTE, of which 24 have introduced
services in one of the three relevant bands. These include KDDI and NTT DoCoMo
using bands 18 and 19 respectively in Japan, and the rest using band 5.

The spectrum is not always being used exclusively for LTE. It is occasionally used
for both 3G or HSPA and LTE within different parts of the national network.

24 of these More operators will be switching to 850 MHz for LTE in the future. In the short
operators have
term, in Thailand the National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission
introduced LTE
services in is re-auctioning 850 MHz currently used by DTAC for 3G (the licence expires
850 MHz bands in 2018), and the Australian regulator plans to make additional spectrum in
band 5 available by re-farming it for mobile broadband.

Figure 1: Countries with companies running or investing in LTE networks operating at 850 MHz
(bands 5, 18 or 19)

GSA Report | December 2017 | Market Update: LTE at 850 MHz (bands 5, 18 and 19)

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©Copyright 2017 Global mobile Suppliers Association
 Although it is only used commercially by fewer than 4% of all launched LTE
networks worldwide, the 850 MHz band is very well supported by devices.
32% of all
LTE devices in Nearly a third (32.3%) of all devices in GSA’s GAMBoD database support 850
the GAMBoD MHz. Nearly 31% of them support band 5 and almost 4% of them support the
database support Japanese bands 18 and 19.
850 MHz (31%
support band 5;
4% support the
Figure 2: LTE devices supporting 850 MHz (bands 5, 18 or 19), by type
Japanese bands
18 and 19)

GSA Report | December 2017 | Market Update: LTE at 850 MHz (bands 5, 18 and 19)

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©Copyright 2017 Global mobile Suppliers Association
 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/

News/updates: RSS Feed: https://gsacom.com/rss-feeds/

GSA LinkedIn group: www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2313721

LTE User Devices LinkedIn group: www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4146472

LTE-Unlicensed LinkedIn group: www.linkedin.com/groups/8601576

Twitter: www.twitter.com/gsacom

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

Contact
GSA Secretariat

Email: research@gsacom.com

Tel: +44 330 113 1572

GSA website: https://gsacom.com

NOTE: Errors and omission excepted

GSA Report | December 2017 | Market Update: LTE at 850 MHz (bands 5, 18 and 19)

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©Copyright 2017 Global mobile Suppliers Association