Business Benefits of Licensed Shared Access (LSA) for Key Stakeholders

Cellular networks are about to experience enormous traffic growth leading to an increasing need for new spectrum bands. A complementary approach to traditional exclusive licensing and license‐exempt operations for spectrum access is the new Licensed Shared Access (LSA) regulatory concept that could facilitate spectrum sharing between a mobile network operator (MNO) and another type of incumbent spectrum user with conditions that resemble exclusive licensing. This chapter discusses the LSA concept as the means for MNOs to gain access to new spectrum bands on a shared basis while guaranteeing the rights of both the incumbent spectrum users and the MNO. We present the high‐level approach for LSA and discuss the key stakeholders and their relations in the LSA concept with a focus on the roles of regulator, incumbent spectrum user, and MNO. Business benefits of the LSA concept are also identified for the stakeholders. In particular, the needs, benefits, and constraints of the key stakeholders regarding the LSA are identified and their business relations are discussed. The LSA concept is shown to offer several benefits for all involved stakeholders and it can speed up the process of making new bands available for cellular networks. Thus, it can become an important solution to get timely access to new spectrum.