700-MHz spectrum band among best in Latin America

The 700-MHz spectrum band is among the best options to accelerate adoption of mobile broadband services in Latin America, according to a report published recently by 4G Americas.

It includes technical features that provide wireless service coverage in rural areas and offers better signal coverage for inside buildings and homes where most communications take place.

Chosen by a majority of governments in Latin America, the spectrum brand will provide significant global economies of scale, thus ensuring variety and ready availability of network equipment and mobile devices. Services are already available on the 700-MHz band in Bolivia, Ecuador and Panama.

The 700-MHz band has better signal propagation than higher frequencies, such as 1700-2100 MHz and 2500 MHz, and it is possible to cover a larger geographical area with fewer cell sites. This enables efficient infrastructure deployment in communities and populations currently lacking access.

By 2020, six billion people globally will be covered by mobile broadband networks deployed on 700 MHz. Out of this total, close to four billion people in Asia and Latin America will be covered by networks on 700 MHz. This figure makes the APT channeling on 700 MHz the most widely used band providing the largest economy of scale worldwide.