[radiolivre] UK spectrum trading opens this year



Radio spectrum, until now a scarce natural resource allocated and controlled entirely by government fiat, will become tradeable on the open market by the end of this year under a liberalisation time-table published by UK regulator Ofcom. The schedule sets out the steps leading up to the launch of trading in the first classes of radio spectrum at the end of 2004.

Liberalisation will be phased in across most licence classes between 2004 and 2007. Spectrum trading will allow companies and individuals holding licences to operate wireless transmission services to buy and sell their rights in an open market.

The first spectrum licence classes to open up in December will include: analogue public-access mobile radio; national paging; data networks; national and regional private business radio; common base stations; fixed wireless access, scanning telemetry and fixed terrestrial links.

Milestones en route to this radical change will include publication next month of the detailed report on the consultation on spectrum liberalisation, opened in November 2003. Ofcom received 114 responses, showing "strong support" for spectrum trading. It will set out proposals for removing "unnecessary restrictions" on licences, thus permitting licensees to change spectrum use.

September will also see publication of draft spectrum trading regulations governing the way the new spectrum trading market will operate, along with details of the proposed Ofcom Spectrum Registry - similar in structure and approach to the Land Registry - and a statement on Ofcom's approach to ensure effective competition in the spectrum market.

In November, Ofcom's proposed Spectrum Framework Review comes out, bringing together Ofcom's conclusions on spectrum trading and liberalisation within the context of a broader strategy on all spectrum management issues, followed in December by publication of draft roadmap on the approach to mobile and wireless broadband services and the launch of trading.

From 2005 and in each of the following three years, additional licence classes will become tradeable and restrictions on change of use will be liberalised. Throughout, Ofcom said it will continue to auction released and returned spectrum allocations on a business-as-usual basis.

Ofcom chief executive Stephen Carter said: "Access to a flexible and transparent market coupled with the ability to explore innovative new uses for existing spectrum will maximise the effective use of a finite national resource."

Ofcom release: www.ofcom.org.uk <http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media_office/latest_news/nr_20040806>

Lovelacemedia 10.08.2004

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