Will European Government Set Control on 5G Band Access?
The European Space Agency (ESA) has hinted that the continued rollout of 5G technology is likely to hamper their research projects. The projects in question include critical climate change research that could potentially benefit the entire planet. In response to this, legislators intend to meet in Egypt to discuss the implementation of wavelength controls on what is accessible to telecommunications firms. The firms themselves have stated that the fears of compromising the research signals are unfounded, and are concerned about governmental restrictions on their bandwidth access.
Increasing Capacity Requires More Bands
The upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-2019) intends to set out robust frameworks for how 5G bands are to be used across the world. Ofcom, a UK watchdog organization for telecommunications, stated that they would offer more sub-6GHz bandwidths to enable a more thorough rollout of 5G services around the country. The contention is that higher-level millimeter-wave frequencies are required to unlock a broader scope for services within the 5G spectrum. As demand increases, these bands will need to be opened up to companies to ensure the quality of service consumers will expect.
Overlaps with the ESA
The use of high-frequency mobile telecommunications has the potential to disrupt the ESA’s data gathering through satellites, the agency claims. The data the ESA currently receives from global weather satellites are used to plot the route of climate change and help provide suggestions for dealing with the issue. Head of Spectrum for the WRC-19, Brett Tarnutzer, stated that the ESA is guilty of fearmongering, and warned that this behavior could have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.
Global climate change is a serious issue, and if 5G systems were to infringe upon the capability of the ESA to collect data, then they should be confined. However, according to all reports, even those of the ESA, the concerns are only speculation. By limiting the ability of telecommunications companies to provide high-quality 5G because of an unfounded fear could set European countries way back when it comes to technological competitiveness.
