Spectrum situation in Argentina

María Laura Villarreal

RF Engineer
TELECOM ARGENTINA SA (Mobile operator)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
2017
Content

• Introduction
• How to boost Capacity?
• Spectum Allocation in Argentina
• Final Considerations
• Resources
Introduction
It is known worldwide that the demand for broadband services is growing
rapidly, mainly from mobile devices. It is expected that this growth will continue
for the next few years. To maximize the economic and social benefits associated
with this growth, the capacity of wireless networks needs to be significantly
increased.
According to the ‘Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2016–2021’, from
CISCO, the data traffic continue to grow the next years.
Introduction
The main source to achieve this is the additional radio spectrum,
however this is a finite resource and the time it usually takes to
extend this resource in the market may take years, while the increase
in demand is imminent.

The allocation of more spectrum for wireless broadband than is

necessary has an opportunity cost that arises from the impossibility
of assigning it for other potential uses. On the other hand, insufficient
allocation means less capacity and risk of not fully exploiting the
benefits of wireless networks. This presents a trade-off that is
important to take into account when assigning the spectrum.
How to boost capacity?
However, the spectrum is only one of the possible sources to increase the
additional capacity of a network. The additional capacity can also come from
technological improvements that increase spectral efficiency or through the
installation of a greater number of cells of various types.
The most efficient balance between these sources depends on the nature
and volume of the demand to be met and the relative costs of the capacity
increase for each method. This means a challenge for the operators, who
have the need to develop long-term strategies to efficiently use the allocated
spectrum responding favorably to the growing demand that is presented.
How to boost capacity?
It is expected that the wireless technology can offer a substantial
improvement in the spectral efficiency in the coming years due to the arrival
of improvements in the technology and the evolution of LTE, LTE-A and 5G.
The efficiency achieved also depends on the capabilities of mobile devices in
the market.

The frequency band and the type of site affect the maximum scope of the
cells, as well as its potential spectral efficiency, which limits the number of
users to whom a service can provide. The physical properties of the different
frequency bands of the spectrum can affect the capacity and costs associated
with the increase of the spectrum. In practice, a site can not achieve its
maximum coverage if there are capacity limitations at a shorter distance, in
which the site is supposed to serve the nearest traffic by preference
How to boost capacity?
The lower frequencies can allow a greater coverage and better penetration indoors.
This implies that a high capacity site with low frequency spectrum can provide services
to users in a wider area, while a site with the same technological capacity in number of
users, but operating at higher frequencies may have idle capacity if the user density is
not very high.

As long as the interference between sites is controlled, the lower frequency spectrum
has a spectral efficiency higher than that of higher frequencies. This may seem
contradictory since it is typical to consider that using higher frequency spectrum is
more appropriate for high capacity requirements, but this arises because of the higher
spectrum availability in the higher bands, and not because of the intrinsic physical
properties of the bands. bands located at higher frequencies.
 Spectrum allocation in Argentina
Until the end of 2014, the spectrum available for mobile telephony was in the 1900 (PCS) and 850
(SRMC) bands. Each operator had a spectrum CAP per region of 50MHz. With the deployment of
3G and the rapid growth of the use of mobile services, this limit in the available spectrum
prevented operators from providing a quality service, and the networks were seriously congested.
 Spectrum allocation in Argentina
In July 2014, the Communications Secretariat called for a tender of radio spectrum.
The frequencies in the tender comprise the band in 1850-1910 MHz and 1930-1990
MHz (PCS), 824-849 and 869-894 MHz (SRMC).
This spectrum was divided as follows:
• 30 MHz for PCS in service areas I and II
• 7.5 MHz for SRMC in service area II
• 35 MHz for PCS in service area III

On the other hand, the so-called AWS band (1710-1770 MHz and 2110-2170) for
Advanced Mobile Communications Service (SCMA) disposed of 90 MHz, grouped
into four licenses
• 20 MHz reserved for new operators (vacant).
• 30 MHz will not be auctioned and remain outstanding for a new tender.
Spectrum allocation in Argentina
One of the most suitable bands to accelerate the adoption of mobile
broadband services is the one arising from the so-called digital dividend – the
700 MHz band.
The digital dividend band is defined as the higher segment of the UHF band,
which in the Americas is located between 698 MHz and 806 MHz.

Argentina have awarded the 700 MHz band under the APT plan in 2014,
however, the auction did not include to 90MHz of the portion of the
spectrum. The 3 national licenses were for a total bandwidth of 70 MHz.
Actually, there were 90 MHz grouped in four licenses, while 20 MHz was
reserved for new entrants, which never occurred, so the spectrum is now
vacant.
Spectrum allocation in Argentina
The growing consumption of mobile communications, especially data services
on broadband accesses, prompts the operators’ need for more spectrum
capacity. The identification of the frequencies between 2,500-2,960 MHz as fit
for IMT-2000 and IMT-Avanced technologies, coupled with the general
idleness of the band, have sparked renewed interest on this band, both from
the private and public sectors.
The 2.5 GHz band may cater for the growing demand for broadband owing to
its features of great bidirectional data transmission capacity regardless of the
modes for LTE: FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) and TDD (Time Division
Duplex). The former is used for mobile services, while the latter is often used
for fixed wireless connections. Unlike the 700 MHz band, the so-called 2.5 GHz
frequencies are often used in densely populated urban and suburban areas.
One of the reasons for this is their relatively smaller signal propagation.
Spectrum allocation in Argentina
In January 2017, the regulation further raised the spectrum cap for mobile
services to 140 MHz.
In May 2017, Enacom (regulator institution) published Resolution 368746
which ruled the opening of an on-demand instance whereby operators may
request the allocation of radio spectrum in 2.5 GHz. The regulation sorts FDD
and TDD frequency channels in the 2500 to 2690 MHz band.
As a result of this process, 100 MHz were allocated between 3 operators
(Claro, Movistar and Personal). The tender allocated spectrum on a regional
(districts) basis and some of the spectrum blocks remain occupied by other
communication systems.
Spectrum allocation in Argentina
Market current Situation: In June 2016, Nextel acquired four companies that held spectrum
in 2.5 GHz and a fifth company with radio resources in 900 MHz. The purpose of the
company from Grupo Clarín (Nextel’s controller) is to offer mobile services in that portion of
the spectrum and consolidate itself as the fourth operator. However, the spectrum acquired
was not authorized for mobile.
The situation changed in February 2017, when Enacom published a Resolution allocating the
frequency bands comprised in 905 and 915 MHz, 950 and 960 MHz for the Mobile Service on
primary title. On the same date, the regulator issued Resolution 1034, which allocated the
frequency band comprised between 2500 and 2690 MHz to the Mobile Service.
Telecom Argentina (controller entity of Personal) and Grupo Clarín announced a merger
process. If the merger is allowed (almost certain), it is expected that Personal and Nextel will
have to return some spectrum licenses to comply with the current spectrum cap.
From my point of view, the merger generates an imbalance in the market, not very much in
the mobile services market, but in the fixed broadband services market, which with the
advent of convergence, generates a dominant position of the TELECOM-CLARIN company.
The regulator must be careful in setting the terms of the merger, and in terms of spectrum,
they could increase the limit that all operators have, but they should conduct a new auction
with all available licenses.
Final Considerations
An increase of the spectrum available allows a direct increase in the capacity of the
network, and it is necessary to assign more spectrum for the service in such a way that
it can satisfy the growing demand of the users. However, the resource is limited, and
operators can not freely dispose it, for various reasons, so it can not be thought that the
improvements in the provision only depend on this aspect.
Taken into account the three nodal through which the strategy is designed to achieve
an increase in capacity (spectrum, technology and topology of the network), it can be
concluded that to take advantage of resources in the best possible way, an effective
combination of the three aspects is needed. This is partly because resources such as
spectrum or number of sites are not freely available, and because they must be used
efficiently. In addition, the various technological developments contribute to optimize
the performance of the network and to make more efficient the use of network
resources.
Resources
• GSMA Capacity Building Course – Advanced spectrum management for Mobile
Telecommunications
• Estrategias para Aumentar la Capacidad de las Redes Móviles Desplegadas – María
Laura Villarreal – Universidad Tecnológica Nacional -2016
• Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2016–2021 – CISCO-
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-
networking-index-vni/mobile-white-paper-c11-520862.pdf
• Spectrum Allocation in 700 MHz and 2.5 GHz in Latin America – 5G Americas-
October 2017-
http://www.5gamericas.org/files/1315/0843/7824/700_MHz_y_25_GHz_Oct_2017_
Final-EN.pdf