Spectrum Refarming Calculator

Capacity gain from spectrum reallocation.

Bandwidth to refarm (MHz)

Source Technology

Target Technology

Number of sectors

MIMO layers (target)

Subscriber count

Tab to move between fields

Capacity gain multiplier

Current capacity (Gbps)1

New capacity (Gbps)25

Capacity gain (Gbps)24

Current per-sub (kbps)10

New per-sub (kbps)250

Total migration cost ($)$12,000,000.00

Equipment cost ($)$7,500,000.00

Device migration cost ($)$4,500,000.00

Est. payback (months)250

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the existing frequency band being refarmed and the new technology to be deployed.
Input the number of base stations affected and the cost per site for hardware upgrade.
Set the timeline for refarm completion in months.
Review the Total Refarm Cost, Cost Per Site, and Spectrum Efficiency Gain.
Use the Capacity Increase output to quantify the subscriber throughput improvement post-refarm.

What each input means

Bandwidth to refarm (MHz): Amount of spectrum bandwidth being refarmed in MHz.
Source Technology: Select current technology being refarmed
Target Technology: Select target technology after refarming
Number of sectors: Total cell sectors across the network using this band.
MIMO layers (target): Number of MIMO spatial streams for the target technology. LTE: 2-4, 5G: 2-8.
Subscriber count: Total subscribers on the network using this spectrum band.

Capacity gain multiplier: How many times more capacity the target technology provides vs. source.
Current capacity (Gbps): Total network downlink capacity with current technology.
New capacity (Gbps): Total network downlink capacity after refarming.
Capacity gain (Gbps): Additional network capacity from refarming.
Current per-sub (kbps): Average per-subscriber throughput before refarming.
New per-sub (kbps): Average per-subscriber throughput after refarming.
Total migration cost ($): Equipment upgrade + subscriber device migration costs.
Equipment cost ($): Radio equipment upgrade cost for all sectors.
Device migration cost ($): Subscriber device subsidy for technology upgrade.
Est. payback (months): Estimated months to recoup migration cost from capacity revenue.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Bandwidth to refarm (MHz) = 10, Source Technology = 0, Target Technology = 2, Number of sectors = 500 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Capacity gain multiplier
Capacity gain multiplier = sourceNetworkCapacityMbps > 0 ? targetNetworkCapacityMbps / sourceNetworkCapa...
25 = 25
Calculate Current capacity
Current capacity = sourceCapacityPerSector * sectorCount
1 = 1
Calculate New capacity
New capacity = targetCapacityPerSector * sectorCount
25 = 25