The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said it plans to spend NT$130 million (US$4.17 million) on a project that would minimize interference that might occur through the transmission of 5G signals in the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band.
The commission said it aims to finish the project by June next year, when 5G service providers are to start constructing the 5G system using the frequency band after they secure the 5G spectrum in an auction to be held in December this year.
The announcement came after local Chinese-language media reported that several telecom executives have expressed concern over the auction of frequency blocks at the 3.5GHz band, which most nations use to develop the 5G service.
Based on the commission’s plan, the bandwidth reserved for the 5G service would be between 3300 megahertz (MHz) and 3570MHz. The commission has also set aside the 3570MHz to 3610MHz band as a guard band to prevent interference.
However, the frequency band and the guard band are being used by Chunghwa Telecom for its ST-2 telecom satellite, which provides signals to Sanlih TV, TVBS and the Videoland television network.
Transmission of 5G signals could interfere with the satellite signal transmissions of some cable TV networks, telecoms said.
The commission said that the frequency range between 3300MHz and 3570MHz would be “clean” to use by the time 5G operators begin building the 5G network.
“All current users of the band will be asked to relocate by May 1 next year,” NCC acting spokesperson Hsiao Chi-hung (蕭祈宏) said.
To avoid interference with fixed satellite services (FSS) and point-to-point microwave links at the adjacent band of 3610MHz to 4200MHz, the commission plans to spend NT$130 million to build band-pass filters over the stations that receive FSS or microwave transmission signals, NCC Frequency and Resources Department Deputy Director Niu Hsin-ren (牛信仁) said.
A survey by the commission showed that such a device would need to be over 186 FSS stations and 10 microwave transmission stations, Niu said.
The stations are accessed by a wide range of stakeholders, including satellite broadcasters and their service subscribers, as well as cable television system operators, FSS operators, terrestrial television operators and their users.
“We hope that these stakeholders can quickly file applications for building band-pass filters by Sept. 30 after we make the project public,” Nieu said, adding that this is part of complementary measures before the nation rolls out the 5G service.
The commission last month announced that it would shorten the preparatory period for the 5G auction, as many nation have either finished releasing the licenses or are getting ready to roll out 5G networks.
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