Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Ofcom finalises rules for mobile airwaves auction

13/03/2020

Ofcom finalises rules for mobile airwaves auction Add to Your Pages

13 March 2020

New airwaves will boost mobile capacity and enhance 5G services

Airwaves available for mobile will increase by nearly 20% leading to better services

Ofcom has today confirmed how we will release important airwaves to help improve mobile broadband and support the rollout of 5G.

Ofcom manages the UK's airwaves or spectrum a finite resource that is essential for wireless services including mobile phones.

To help improve mobile services and give more people access to 5G networks, we will release more mobile airwaves through an auction. This will increase the total amount of airwaves available for mobile in the UK by nearly a fifth (18%). Following consultation, we have today confirmed the rules for how the auction will work.

The airwaves companies will bid forThe auction will involve companies bidding for spectrum in two different frequency bands.

The 700 MHz band. We are releasing 80 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band, following a four-year programme to clear the band of its existing uses for digital terrestrial TV and wireless microphones. These airwaves are ideal for providing good-quality mobile coverage, both indoors and across very wide areas including the countryside. Releasing these airwaves will also boost the capacity of today's mobile networks offering customers a more reliable service.

The 3.6-3.8 GHz band. We are releasing 120 MHz of spectrum in 3.6-3.8 GHz band. These important airwaves are part of the primary band for 5G and capable of carrying lots of data-hungry connections in concentrated areas. All four of the biggest mobile companies have launched 5G in the last year and releasing these airwaves will help increase the capacity and quality of mobile data services.

How the auction will workSimilar to our 2018 spectrum auction, this year's auction will involve two stages. It will work like this:

Principal stage. Companies first bid for airwaves in separate lots' to determine how much spectrum each company wins.

Assignment stage. There is then a round of bidding to determine the specific frequencies that winning bidders will be allocated.

To give mobile operators the opportunity to create more continuous blocks' of 5G-ready spectrum, the assignment stage allows winners of 3.6-3.8 GHz spectrum to negotiate their placements within the band among themselves.

Supporting competition in the mobile marketOfcom has a duty to ensure spectrum is used efficiently. We also ensure companies can compete fairly and that customers have a strong choice of mobile networks. To help maintain strong competition in the UK mobile market, we will impose a 37% cap on the overall spectrum that any one mobile company can hold following the auction.

Improving mobile coverageOn 9 March, the Government announced it had reached agreement with the four mobile network operators - BT/EE, O2, Three and Vodafone to set up a Shared Rural Network to improve mobile coverage across the UK. This involves each company committing to deliver good-quality 4G coverage to at least 90% of the UK over six years.

By mobile companies working together, supported by Government funding, the agreement will achieve higher coverage than Ofcom could have required under our powers, and so we will not include coverage obligations in our auction.

The four mobile network operators have agreed for Ofcom to vary their spectrum licences to give effect to the coverage commitments. We will also monitor, and report, on their progress in meeting the new commitments.

Philip Marnick, Spectrum Group Director at Ofcom, said: Demand for getting online, on the move is soaring, with mobile customers using nearly 40% more data year on year. So releasing these airwaves will bring a much-needed capacity boost - helping mobile customers get a better service.

We're also releasing more airwaves to help cement the UK's place as a world leader in 5G.

Next stepsAlongside our decisions on how the auction will work, we have finalised the Auction Regulations. Once the regulations have been made and come into force, we will invite applications from potential bidders for the auction. We will assess all applications, before publishing details of who has qualified to take part and when the principal stage will begin.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The spectrum would be made available for bids in the following lots:

Six lots of 2x5 MHz (60 MHz in total) in the 700 MHz band with a reserve price of £100m per lot.

Four lots of 5 MHz (20 MHz in total) of 700 MHz downlink-only spectrum, with a reserve price of £1m per lot.

24 lots of 5 MHz (120 MHz in total) of 3.6-3.8 GHz spectrum, with a reserve price of £20m per lot.

As we are not planning to include coverage obligations anymore, the two spectrum lots that carried a proposed maximum discount each of between £300-400m will no longer apply.

We are using an auction format known as simultaneous multiple round ascending' (SMRA).

The 37% cap on overall spectrum holdings has the effect of restricting existing mobile companies to acquiring the following amounts:

BT/EE - 120 MHz BT/EE;

H3G - 185 MHz;

Vodafone - 190 MHz;

Due to its current spectrum holdings, O2 will not be restricted by the cap.

The 700 MHz band has previously been used for digital terrestrial TV and wireless microphones. The 3.6-3.8 GHz band is used for fixed links and satellite services.

In December 2018 we proposed including coverage obligations in our auction rules. These would have required up to two mobile companies to increase coverage in rural areas, in exchange for winning discounted spectrum through the auction. The mobile network operators developed the Shared Rural Network plan in response to Ofcom's proposals, and it is therefore no longer appropriate to include coverage obligations in the
LINK: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__search/s/redirect?collection=web&url=https:...
See more stories from ofcom

Most recent headlines

17/02/2025

How BBC Wales returned live to 1985

TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night By Jenny Priestley Published: February 14, 2025 ...

17/02/2025

Film studio tax relief programme gets underway in England

Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 17, 20...

17/02/2025

Empowering progress from within

As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...

17/02/2025

EIB Global Lends 125 Million To Finance SES's Medium Earth Orbit Satellites

EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...

15/02/2025

Nielsen's Business Resource Groups celebrate inclusion with BRinG It! Campaign

At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...

15/02/2025

Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom

Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom Rob Christensen February 15, 2025 0 Comments Whether you want to remove distracting ...

15/02/2025

Wisycom Expands Into Argentina and Uruguay With EQUAPHON

Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...

15/02/2025

DPA Microphones Adds to Sales and Marketing Teams

DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...

15/02/2025

Tuxera brings media-optimized SMB technology to NAB Show...

Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...

15/02/2025

Bitmovin Report Ad Insertion Tops Streaming Challenges a...

Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...

15/02/2025

Oberc Lights Michelin-Star Hotel Guide Promo with DoPchoi...

When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...

15/02/2025

Formula E Supercharges Fan Experience with AI-Driven High...

Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...

15/02/2025

Agile Content is Now AgileTV

Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV. The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...

15/02/2025

Hiltron to Promote Latest-Generation Satellite Communicat...

Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...

15/02/2025

DoPchoice Debuts Airglow Float - Inflatable Round Topligh...

Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...

15/02/2025

Marshall to Debut RCP Plus Controller at 2025 NAB Show

LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...

15/02/2025

Gray Media Names Blake Sebo GM of Stations in Anchorage, Alaska

ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....

15/02/2025

DPA Microphones To Introduce CORE+ Technology at NAB Show

KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....

15/02/2025

QuickLink To Unveil StudioPro-NDI, StudioPro-3 at 2025 NAB Show

SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...

15/02/2025

Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In For Final Production

Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...

15/02/2025

NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season

NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...

14/02/2025

Spotify's Partner Program Helps Creators Increase Revenue and Consumption of Video Podcasts

Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...

14/02/2025

Four Ways L3Harris Targeting and Sensor Systems are Defining the Future of Land Missions

The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...

14/02/2025

ISE 2025: 5 Reasons to Join Calrec at ISE

Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025 Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...

14/02/2025

World Radio Day: On the same wavelength

World Radio Day: On the same wavelength By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...

14/02/2025

Tegna Inks Deal for Dallas Wings Broadcasts

DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...

14/02/2025

Prime Video Makes Significant Upgrades to Its Apple TV App

Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...

14/02/2025

Telos Alliance To Showcase Quasar V3.2 AoIP Software at NAB Show

CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...

14/02/2025

Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puget Bench for Creators

Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...

14/02/2025

Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow

Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow Brie Clayton February 14, 2025 0 Comments 80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...

14/02/2025

Paramount, Youtube TV Avoid Channel Blackout, Will Continue Negotiations

A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...

14/02/2025

Stop-motion triumph

Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail By C...

14/02/2025

BitFire appoints Jim Akimchuk as CEO

BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration By Jen...

14/02/2025

Arena TV liquidators dismiss banks' defence as unsustainable'

The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021 By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 14, ...

14/02/2025

YouTube TV Likely To Drop Paramount Channels Today

A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...

14/02/2025

LG Opens Its First Virtual Production Studio

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...

14/02/2025

CIMM, TVB Release Local TV and Video Innovation Showcase

NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...

14/02/2025

U.S. Senators Blast Weaponization of FCC' Against Broadcasters

WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...

14/02/2025

The Apple TV App Comes to Android

Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....

14/02/2025

Red Adds Nikon Z Mount To V-RAPTOR [X], KOMODO-X Camera Systems

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...

14/02/2025

Fox Sports Revs Up for Daytona 500 With New NASCAR Deal, Some New Tech

DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...

14/02/2025

Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn

Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...

14/02/2025

2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR Season

2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...

14/02/2025

VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2.6 Million for Demining in Ukraine

14 Feb 2025 VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....

14/02/2025

Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season

Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season Max Warner Bros. Television Group The Pitt New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...

14/02/2025

110 Years of Love in Every Frame: A Technicolor Celebration of Romance

This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...

14/02/2025

NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court

NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...

14/02/2025

LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access Features in Year 4

LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...