New reports on Low- and High-band Spectrum Needs Deliver Complete 2030 5G Spectrum Vision for Governments and Regulators
30 June, London: The GSMA today released a new analysis of the spectrum needs of 5G networks across low, mid- and high bands. The detailed research delivers a clear vision of the spectrum capacity required to integrate 5G into the lives of businesses and consumers up to 2030.
Two new reports, Vision 2030: Low-band spectrum for 5G and Vision 2030: mmWave Spectrum Needs, estimate the spectrum needed in low and high bands to realise the full capabilities of 5G. Combined with last year's Vision 2030: Insights for mid-band spectrum needs, the research delivers a detailed understanding of 5G spectrum needs up to 2030.
The speed and availability of 5G services depend on mobile network operators (MNOs) having access to spectrum in low, mid- and high bands to build out cost-effective networks. Robust licensing and timely availability of spectrum is also central to the success of 5G deployment. With these in place, 5G can transform digital economies across the globe, help lower the broadband usage gap, and support digital inclusion.
The GSMA's analysis shows that:
In high-band (mmWave): an average of 5 GHz of high-band spectrum will be needed per market by 2030 for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) in dense urban areas, fibre-like fixed wireless access (FWA) and enterprise 5G.
In mid-band: 2 GHz of mid-band spectrum per country will be needed for city-wide 5G applications by 2030.
In low-band: spectrum needs for 5G are higher than the amount of capacity that naturally exists below 1 GHz. However, ensuring the availability of the 600 MHz band will raise rural broadband speeds by 30-50%.
It is expected that successful 5G deployment will rely on spectrum access in low, mid- and high spectrum bands. By utilising the characteristics of all these bands, 5G can deliver capacity in all areas and maximise its effectiveness across all potential use cases:
5 GHz per market of high-band, mmWave spectrum will be used for the densest urban 5G hotspots. It will ensure reliable, low-latency networks in manufacturing plants or connected freight hubs such as smart ports. mmWave will also provide connectivity to high-density locations such as sports or music venues and travel terminals.
Mid-band spectrum has been the main driver of 5G launches so far and is expected to help realise the largest portion of 5G's socio-economic benefits in the next decade. 2 GHz of mid-band will be used in each market for city-wide 5G and will deliver the vision of smart cities, city-wide FWA solutions, and the 5G-era digitisation of health and education.
Low-band spectrum has strong propagation characteristics for covering wide areas and penetrating deep into buildings. As such it is the delivery mechanism for rural broadband and making additional low-band available, such as the 600 MHz band, will drive digital inclusion and ensure rural / urban digital equality.
Luciana Camargos, the GSMA's Head of Spectrum, said: Spectrum is at the heart of modern digital economies but is a scarce resource. With careful, thoughtful allocation of spectrum, governments and regulators can develop thriving and competitive digital markets. The GSMA plays a central role in helping to inform these decisions, helping spectrum authorities capitalise on the true value of operators' investment in 5G networks. Today we are presenting the mobile industry's vision for 2030 for these stakeholders and giving clear insights into the priorities for spectrum in a 5G world.
To view the reports in full, please visit:
https://www.gsma.com/spectrum/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/5G-Low-Band-Spectrum.pdf
https://www.gsma.com/spectrum/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/5G-mid-band-spectrum-needs-vision-2030.pdf
https://www.gsma.com/spectrum/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/5G-mmWave-Spectrum.pdf
-ENDS-
Notes for editors:
Low-bands are used for rural areas and deep-indoor coverage in cities. They are below 1 GHz and include 900 MHz, 800 MHz, 700 MHz and the new 600 MHz bands.
Mid-bands are found at 1-7 GHz. They offer capacity for city-wide coverage. Lower mid-bands are typically in use for mobile already such as 1800 MHz, 2.1 GHz, 2.3 GHz and 2.6 GHz while 1500 MHz is under development. Upper mid-bands have been used for 5G launches including the 3.3-3.8 GHz band. Expansion of mid-band capacity will make use of 3.8- 4.2 GHz, 4.4-5.0 GHz and 6 GHz.
High-bands or mmWave currently harmonised for use are 26 GHz, 28 GHz, 40 GHz and 66-71 GHz. These are used for the highest-capacity, lowest-latency 5G applications in dense connectivity hotspots.
About GSMA
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today's biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to find out more at gsma.com
GSMA Press Office
pressoffice@gsma.com
Like what you read? Share.
Europe Stories
19/12/2025
With Playout Release 2025.4, ToolsOnAir continues to push professional playout w...
19/12/2025
19 Dec 2025
VEON's Mobilink Microfinance Bank Launches Islamic Banking Oper...
19/12/2025
The six-part drama, set in a close-knit Welsh town fractured by an unspeakable c...
19/12/2025
Rohde & Schwarz drives the future of mobility at CES 2026 At the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Rohde & Schwarz will present a powerful lineup o...
19/12/2025
RT is proud to return to the RDS to support the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist & T...
18/12/2025
Canada's largest indoor arena has transformed its live production capabilities with a full ST 2110 infrastructure and Calrec's compact Argo S console. S...
18/12/2025
Long-term agreement includes the SES SCORE platform and hybrid distribution worldwide to deliver more than 5,000 hours of golf tournaments annually featuring th...
18/12/2025
18 Dec 2025
VEON Upgraded to Nasdaq Global Select Market, Enhancing Investor Visibility Dubai, December 18, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital o...
18/12/2025
Thursday 18 December 2025
Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the Masters ...
18/12/2025
Using the additive process of 3D printing, layer after layer gets printed until an object is as close to the final shape needed as possible. Historically, machi...
18/12/2025
In 2025, RT proudly supported 185 arts and cultural events across the island of Ireland, reflecting significant growth since the scheme was re-launched in 2014...
18/12/2025
RT Sports Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
18/12/2025
RT lyric fm presents a very special Winter Solstice edition of Ambient Orbit, l...
18/12/2025
At 7.45pm on 1st January 1926, the precursor to RT , then 2RN, delivered the fledgling new Irish state's first public radio transmission. From those first c...
18/12/2025
December 18 2025, 05:30 (PST) The Movie Experience SLO Becomes First U.S. Exhib...
17/12/2025
Investigative journalists across the Western Balkans and T rkiye continue to con...
17/12/2025
The right playlist is essential on New Year's Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotif...
17/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
17/12/2025
Wuppertal December 17, 2025
Riedel Builds Global Communication and Commentary ...
17/12/2025
December 17 2025, 17:00 (PST) Dolby and LG Unveil a New Era of Home Audio With ...
17/12/2025
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Heated Rivalry will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 JanuaryTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy opti...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
16/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December.
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
16/12/2025
Singer -songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dance...
15/12/2025
Cape Town, November 13, 2025 - SES and International artist and humanitarian, Fo...
15/12/2025
Luxembourg, December 15, 2025 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Abra Group launched fast and reliable multi-orbit inflight connectivity service on t...
15/12/2025
15 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Delivers First Starlink Direct to Cel...
15/12/2025
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor finds himself the topic of year's cracker jokes
Oasis, David Harbour, Celebrity Traitors and Angela Rayner all feature in this y...
15/12/2025
Comscore Expands Cross-Platform Campaign Measurement to Include Audio and Social New capabilities strengthen cross-platform campaign reporting suite; CCR rebran...
15/12/2025
RT .ie has reached one billion page views this year and is on track to finish 2025 2% ahead of last year. Average time spent on the site is up 3% on 2024, with ...
12/12/2025
Last month, Spotify announced a new collaboration with the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's professional tennis, aimed at bringing the next gene...
12/12/2025
Friday 12 December 2025
Ted is back! Seth MacFarlane's live-action comedic ...
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
11/12/2025
It's been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life...
11/12/2025
11 Dec 2025
VEON's Banglalink Receives Regulatory Approval to Launch Digita...
11/12/2025
Thursday 11 December 2025
Sky Arts paints a picture of Britain's beauty as ...
11/12/2025
It's not every day we're asked to create a website for a classical musician!
So, we were delighted to help pianist Georgina Duncan as she embarks on he...
11/12/2025
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Irish golfing hero Shane Lowry...
11/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier ti...
New reports on Low- and High-band Spectrum Needs Deliver Complete 2030 5G Spectrum Vision for Governments and Regulators
