Ofcom today launched a
consultation that
could give mobile broadband users a big increase in the amount of
radio spectrum available to them.
The airwaves, in the 800Mhz band, are particularly important
because the signals they can carry over long distances and
penetrate buildings. This could be crucial in extending broadband
access to rural areas.
The consulation comes days after communications minister
Stephen Carter published his interim report on Digital Britain.
This aims to make access to broadband communications a universal
service obligation for all communications services providers.
The move is part of the so-called 'digital dividend' that comes
from reallocating frequencies as a result of the switch from
analogue to digital television broadcasts.
Ofcom is askng if all the spectrum in the 800MHz band should be
made available for new uses. This would be worth £2bn to £3bn over
20 years, says Ofcom, and would bring the UK into line with
Europe.
The cost of movng existing users, mainly set-top TV tuners and
wireless microphones, would cost no more than £200m. This could be
recovered by selling licences to new owners, Ofcom said.
However, standards for very high speed (more than 21Mbps) mobile
broadband technologies such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) are not
yet available for the 800MHz band, it says, and their future
adoption and use remains uncertain.
"In some mobile markets there are also benefits in the
harmonised use of technologies across national borders, but there
remains some uncertainty over the extent to which UHF spectrum that
has historically been used for broadcasting will in practice be
fully harmonised in Europe," Ofcom said.
Ofcom said the benefits to citizens and consumers of
reallocating the band include
- lower equipment prices for consumers
- more efficient use of spectrum
- improved opportunities for new generations of mobile broadband,
and
- more scope for competition and innovation in new wireless
services.
Ofcom expects to publish a statement on the reallocation in
summer and aims to hold an auction for the UK's digital dividend in
2010.