Beyond the Megahertz: Analyzing AT&T's Leap to Wider 5G NR Channels via USCellular/EchoStar Spectrum

AT&T has accumulated a majority of the 3.45GHz spectrum in many markets through their proposed acquisitions from Soniqwave, USCellular and EchoStar (Dish).  How have these acquisitions affected the maximum NR channel size in each US County?

To examine this we are going to pull data from the Spektrum Metrics Channel Analysis module, which calculates the how the specific licenses owned translates into contagious spectrum, NR channels, and theoretical data throughput. For this examination we will compare the band 77 NR channels AT&T has without the proposed acquisitions and the NR channels it will have after the transactions have been consummated.

AT&T Current Band 77 NR Channels:

Looking at the N77 table above and the Spectrum Grid below, it is apparent that AT&T currently controls a 40MHz channel in the 3.45GHz band and an 80MHz channel in the C-band.  Since we are only focusing on the 3.45GHz spectrum, we will be deleting all of the 80MHz NR 77 channels attributed to the C-band spectrum.

DeKalb, GA Current Spectrum Grid:

AT&T Future Band 77 NR Channels:

Our Future NR77 channel analysis show the Dish acquisition in this county adding an additional 40MHz bringing AT&T's total to 80MHz, but rather than a contiguous 80MHz channel it will have to be configured as 2 - 40MHz channels because of the spectrum held by Columbia Capital.

Exporting all of the NR Channel Analysis Data from the Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool allows us to see that AT&T will end up with 13 different current/future configurations. 

The first configuration is where they don't have 3.45GHz spectrum today and they will not receive additional spectrum by acquisition.  These 128 counties are all located in markets like Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico; where both C-band and 3.45GHz spectrum was not available for auction.

The second configuration is counties where their current spectrum is 0 and the future spectrum is 20.  AT&T previously exchanged their 3.45GHz spectrum in a group of 4 South Carolina counties in return for spectrum in another band.  In 3 of the counties below, they will receive 20MHz from EchoStar(Dish).

The third configuration indicates that AT&T will be acquiring the remaining 60MHz of spectrum in the market providing them with a contagious 100MHz NR 77 channel.  You can see this in the Tulsa PEA Market where AT&T will be acquiring USCellular's spectrum below their allocation and EchoStar's spectrum above.

It is critical to look at these acquisitions with an eye to their effect on the Maximum NR Channels size because NR Channel size directly correlates to the network deployment configuration and theoretical data throughput, while a raw spectrum depth evaluation will tend to overstate the network benefit.

Summary:

When the pending acquisitions are approved, AT&T's Maximum NR Channel Size will:

• Stay at 40MHz in 370 counties
• Grow to 60MHz in 829 counties
• Grow to 80MHz in 1,120 counties
• Grow to 90MHz in 36 counties
• Grow to 100MHz in 750 counties.