Statement published 19 July 2021
We have identified three areas of increased focus to help us achieve our spectrum management vision to enable growth and innovation.
Supporting wireless innovation: Making it even easier for a broad range of users to access spectrum by:
- Making more spectrum available for innovation before its long-term future use is certain;
- Working to support innovation in new wireless technologies, including by influencing international standards and technical conditions so they are flexible enough to support new uses;
- Expanding our work to understand, assist and inform the broad range of organisations who may benefit from wireless technologies in the future.
Licensing to fit local and national services: Supporting the growing diversity of wireless services and providers by considering further options for localised spectrum access when authorising new spectrum use. Local access can suit a range of businesses and specialised services at sites like factories, airports and remote farms, which do not need to use spectrum across the whole UK. Licences for larger areas, including national licences, can support wide coverage for public mobile services.
Promoting spectrum sharing: Encouraging users to share access to spectrum with others. As innovation stimulates greater demand for limited spectrum resource, spectrum sharing becomes even more important. Alongside our flexible authorisation options, technology can help by providing new sharing tools and by creating the opportunity for a fresh approach to sharing in higher frequencies. We will encourage:
- Use of better data and more sophisticated analysis when assessing the conditions for sharing;
- Wireless systems to be more resilient to interference from their neighbours;
- An efficient balance between the level of interference protection given to one service and flexibility for others to transmit.
