Improving Data Experience in Bangladesh using LTE Network

Bangladesh is a small country with 147,570 square km area, however, total population is 174.18 million (https://www.worldometers.info). 4 Mobile Operators are serving in Bangladesh with 45705 Towers/sites (https://btrc.gov.bd). Recently, major operators have closed 3G operations. They are providing Voice and Data services with GSM and LTE Technologies. As of September 2024, Smart Phone penetration in Bangladesh is 36.21% (https://btrc.gov.bd) and it is increasing day by day creating more demand for data services. As of Ookla report, Bangladesh is 111th in mobile internet speed across the globe (https://www.thedailystar.net). Available standard Spectrum in Bangladesh is almost exhausted. To improve, overall data speed, alternative solutions to be explored beyond standard spectrum utilization.

Alternative Spectrum can be 700/850 MHz, 3500 MHz and 5GHz Bands. Among them 700/850 MHz bands are more convenient for ensuring better coverage. For the capacity purpose, 3500 MHz and 5GHz are the ideal solutions. Considering, low ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) in Bangladesh, 3500 MHz is not a feasible solution as it requires further investment for spectrum charge along with Hardware and Software. Getting Spectrum from 5GHz band, as free of cost can be the perfect solution for Bangladesh considering the current circumstances.

License Assisted Access (LAA)?is a unique feature of LTE that powers the unlicensed 5 GHz spectrum in combination with licensed spectrum to provide a performance enhancement for mobile device users. LAA uses LTE's Carrier Aggregation (CA) feature, where the primary component carrier operates on the licensed spectrum, while the secondary component carrier operates on unlicensed spectrum. This allows for seamless integration and enhanced data speed, leading to enriched customer satisfactions.

Since the 5 GHz Spectrum is unlicensed, it is shared with other technologies for instance, Wi-Fi. To ensure fair use of this spectrum, LAA integrates a "Listen Before Talk" mechanism, which checks whether the spectrum is available before transmitting data, thus minimizing interference with other users like Wi-Fi devices.

LAA is particularly beneficial in densely populated areas such as urban centers, stadiums, and shopping malls, where network demand is high and additional spectrum is needed to ensure a good user experience. LAA is a stepping stone towards 5G, as it prepares networks to utilize a mix of licensed and unlicensed spectrum, allowing for more flexible, effective and efficient use of available frequencies.

Challenges for LAA:

·???????? Low coverage due to higher band spectrum: Applicable only for capacity solutions

·???????? Interference with Wi-Fi Networks: QoS degradation

·???????? Implementation Complexity: Interoperability with licensed bands

·???????? Regulatory Restrictions: Varies country to country

·???????? LBT Mechanism Overhead and Channel Contention: Increasing Latency

Although LAA is cost-effective compared to acquiring new licensed spectrum, it may still require investment in new hardware or software upgrades, such as LAA-compatible base stations and small cells, which can add to the overall deployment costs.

These demerits highlight some of the trade-offs that come with implementing LAA in LTE networks. While it can be a powerful tool for enhancing network capacity, careful planning and coordination are necessary to ensure it coexists well with existing Wi-Fi services and aligns with regulatory requirements.

Telecommunication Regulatory Commission can assign 5 GHz spectrum (5150?– 5925 MHz) to the existing operators to improve overall customer experience as well as a better position in World Ranking for Data speed.