Hong Kong’s Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) is to consult later this year on plans to offer more spectrum in the 3.4GHz-3.7GHz and 26GHz-28GHz ranges for future 5G mobile services, as well as on plans to allocate ‘digital dividend’ spectrum following the switch-off of analogue TV services in the 700MHz band in 2020. The regulator says it will examine the possibility of existing satellite TV services and future mobile services co-existing in the 3.4GHz-4.2GHz range from 2020 onwards. The higher range 26GHz-28GHz frequencies are expected to be made available for 5G technology from mid-2019.
The public consultations are due to take place in the second half of this year. Domestic cellcos have been calling on the regulator to open up more spectrum for future services, with all 552MHz of available frequencies in the sub-3GHz bands already allocated.
