Presentations from the SPF Cluster 2 & 3: Release Mechanisms & Flexible Spectrum Access workshop on 21 May 2018 More information about the UK Spectrum Policy Forum is available here. http://www.techuk.org/about/uk-spectrum-policy-forum

1. PROMOTING CHOICE • SECURING STANDARDS • PREVENTING HARM
Spectrum awards, access and sharing
Cliff Mason
21 May 2018

2. PROMOTING CHOICE • SECURING STANDARDS • PREVENTING HARM 2
Spectrum Awards

3. PROMOTING CHOICE • SECURING STANDARDS • PREVENTING HARM 3
2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz Award
Award concluded on 13 April 2018
2.3 GHz band: licence awarded to Telefonica
3.4 GHz band: licences awarded to Vodafone, Hutchison, Telefonica and EE

4. PROMOTING CHOICE • SECURING STANDARDS • PREVENTING HARM 4
Future Awards
• Plan to award spectrum in 700 MHz and 3600-3800 MHz bands in 2H/2019
• Consultation on proposals for the award expected later this year
• Ofcom holding a short briefing session on Friday 25 May to brief stakeholders on key topics we
are considering in preparing to award spectrum in the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz bands – details
on Ofcom’s website or email karen.bryant@ofcom.org.uk about attending
• Keen to meet with stakeholders to discuss any issues they wish to raise over the coming weeks
and months - particularly any detailed discussion of specific issues / topics
Next awards planned for the 700 MHz and 3600-3800 MHz bands

5. PROMOTING CHOICE • SECURING STANDARDS • PREVENTING HARM 5
Future Awards
• Ofcom published a document: Enabling 5G in the UK in March 2018. We plan to:
– release different types of spectrum bands for 5G as soon as practicable.
– further consider the possibility of increased sharing in the 3.8-4.2 GHz spectrum for
innovative new uses, while taking into account existing users. The band may be suitable for
broadband wireless systems and/or low power indoor industrial uses, such as connected
factories and industrial Internet of Things. We will continue to monitor demand and seek
evidence for these particular applications and use cases.
– encourage trials at 26 GHz, the 5G mmWave pioneer band which may important for 5G,
although possibly too early to say how the band will be used, and for what purposes.
•
Further Spectrum for 5G

6. PROMOTING CHOICE • SECURING STANDARDS • PREVENTING HARM 6
Access to current spectrum

7. PROMOTING CHOICE • SECURING STANDARDS • PREVENTING HARM 7
Spectrum Trading
• Licences are granted to individuals or companies and are personal to that entity
• Licences cannot be transferred – the rights and obligations may be traded to another party by
the surrender of a licence and the issue of another
• Generally, trading is an administrative process, however…..
• ….for licence classes under the Mobile Trading Regulations, Ofcom is required to consider
whether a competition assessment of a proposed trade is necessary before deciding whether it
can give consent
• For eligible licences, applications to have leasing authorised can be made. Leasing is permitted
only once it has been added to the licence. Leasing is not currently available for spectrum falling
under the mobile trading regulations, although this may be considered in future.
Two separate regulations for Spectrum Trading:
for general licence classes
for licences where the spectrum falls under the Mobile Trading Regulations

8. PROMOTING CHOICE • SECURING STANDARDS • PREVENTING HARM 8
Sharing spectrum
• Concurrent licences are where two or more licensees hold jointly the rights and obligations of a
licence
• 12 licences for concurrent use of spectrum were awarded by auction in 2006 for 3.3 MHz at the
top of the 1800 MHz mobile band. Following expiry of the initial award period, Ofcom is currently
considering future access to this band including the possibility of additional sharers.
• Shared use of the UHF TV ‘White Space’ spectrum, where devices have shared access to
spectrum coordinated through databases to identify where spectrum is available for use
• Light licensing (e.g. 5 GHz band) where shared use of a band, subject to non-interference with
primary users in the band, is authorised through a licence requiring registration
• Exemption – many spectrum bands have been exempted from licensing for uses including low
power devices, telemetry and telecommand, CCTV, model/hobby use etc. Exemption in some
bands (such as the ISM 2.4 GHz or parts of 5 GHz) is open to commercial use. However,
exemption (on non-protected/non-interference terms) may not alwaysguarantee the quality of
spectrum or protection from future congestion / interference that might be necessary for
business or critical applications.
A number of mechanisms are currently used to share certain
areas of spectrum