Ofcom Touts Spectrum Sharing 644249

LONDON -- Ofcom today published proposals to enable public sector organisations toshare, trade and release radio frequencies for new uses.

Frequencies allocated to the public sector, including the Ministry ofDefence, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Maritime and Coastguard Agencyand the emergency services, amount to around half of all radio spectrumbelow 15GHz - the most sought-after and congested frequencies.Radio spectrum is a finite resource that underpins many essential servicesand modern communications. An independent study recently estimated thatpublic sector spectrum holdings alone could have a market value of between£3bn and over £20bn.

The proposals announced today will provide public sector organisations withnew opportunities to make the most efficient use of their frequencies, byallowing them to trade spectrum with commercial companies, while ensuringthat national security and public safety remain paramount.

These proposals will start by introducing spectrum trading to the 406.1- 430 MHz, 2.7 - 3.4 GHz and 3.4 - 3.6 GHz bands. Over time, this willbenefit citizens and consumers, with the potential launch of new servicesand technologies using this spectrum.

Ofcom's Chief Executive, Ed Richards said: "Spectrum is a valuable resourceand demand for it is increasing all the time. Giving public organisationsnew opportunities and incentives to make the most efficient use of thisresource is just one part of a wide set of measures introduced by Ofcom tomake sure that the UK's spectrum is used to the maximum."

Ofcom