What is the WTR?
The Wireless Telegraphy Act Register (WTR) provides information about who is licensed to operate services in specific frequencies or geographical areas. Ofcom is able to provide a register of relevant information under section 31 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. It also fulfils our obligations under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 regarding making information progressively available.
How do I search the Wireless Telegraphy Act Register?
The WTR is searchable by frequency, licence product/sector, geographic area and tradability. You may search on any combination of these terms or by entering a specific licence number.
What kind of information can I get from the WTR?
The Wireless Telegraphy Act Register (WTR) provides information about who is licensed to operate services in specific frequencies or geographical areas. It provides information such as contact name and address details, class of licence, band(s) of frequencies, geographic areas of operation, transmission parameters including power and antenna characteristics.
How do you search a specific geographical area?
You are able to limit your search to particular geographic areas. You can do this either through entering a NGR and the search radius or by using the map. The system is able to search a location to within 100 metres.
The Ordnance Survey (OS) devised the National Grid Reference (NGR) system. See an interactive guide to NGR.
Use the hand icon to drag the map around and use the +/- controls or your mouse to zoom in and out.
To define your search area, use the select area tool to select the centre of the search area and drag to increase the box size. Then click submit search.
How do I view results on a map?
Select the 'View results on a map' link and all results with location data will be displayed on the map. Click on a transmitter icon to bring up basic licence details including the licence number, class, owner and frequency of operation. To view more detailed information on the licence, click on the 'view full licence details' link within the box. Where there is more than one licence station at a single location, clicking on the transmitter icon will bring up a results page with just those licences within 100m of that location.
Why can't I see all the licences that are in the search results table displayed on the map?
For some licence products we cannot show the precise locations of base stations as this information is not held by Ofcom. This is because spectrum allocated by block assignments, such as mobile phone networks, mean that we do not need to licence individual transmitters and therefore Ofcom does not hold this information.
Why am I getting information outside my search criteria (frequency and/or geographic)?
When a search area is defined the results will include national networks or networks with base stations inside the defined area but also other associated base stations outside the search area.
How accurate is the information on the Wireless Telegraphy Act Register?
While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in the Wireless Telegraphy Act Register (WTR) is accurate this information will continue to be refined. Ofcom cannot, therefore, guarantee that the information will always be accurate or up-to-date. This is set out further in Ofcom’s standard terms of use.
Ofcom will work with licensees and will provide to them confirmations in response to standard due diligence questions about particular licences. Ofcom recognises the importance of being able to ask and receive responses to these questions at an early stage. Potential transferees may prefer not to expend significant amounts of time, effort and capital prior to obtaining Ofcom's responses to such questions from the licensee.
Should you have a query regarding the data please email spectruminformation@ofcom.org.uk.
Why does a search sometimes take so long to provide a result?
Given the amount information held in the database, occasionally some take time to provide a response. To speed up the process try to narrow down your request either by selecting the specific product you are interested in or restricting the search to a narrower frequency range.
What do the headings used in the WTR mean?
Licence number
A unique licence number designated by Ofcom to an individual user
Sector
Ofcom's method of identifying the licence type
Class
The purpose for which the licence has been assigned
Licensee
Name of individual or enterprise holding the licence as notified to Ofcom
Frequency
The parameters within which a user is permitted to transmit
Location(s)
The geographic area in which a licensee is permitted to transmit
How can I find technical parameters associated with a specific licence?
When you have selected a specific licence you are then able to find further information relating to the licence including technical parameters. In the frequencies and locations section, by clicking on the site location you are able to find out the technical parameters. A new screen will appear showing transmission and antenna technical parameters.
Why is some information on certain licences missing?
Information relating to some specific fields may not be displayed on some licences. This may be due to the information not beeng relevant to that licence product or that Ofcom does not hold this information. For non-tradable licences we do not publish the contact details of the licensee.
Ofcom may not publish information on some licences or restrict certain information relating to the geographic, frequency or technical details. This is due to public safety or national security concerns.
How are you able to publish information relating to my licence?
Under section 31 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (as amended), Ofcom is able to make regulations to publish a register of relevant information. Since 2004 when Ofcom first made the Wireless Telegraphy (Register) Regulations 2004 information relating to tradable licences has been available. The regulations set out the information that Ofcom will publish in relation to a Wireless Telegraphy Act licence and includes such details as the identity and contact address of the holder of a wireless telegraphy licence.
However, as a public authority, we are also subject to a number of other pieces of legislation such as the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004. These require us to make available specific information to the general public except where the information is covered by an exemption or exception to disclosure, and it is in the public interest not to disclose. After reviewing the information contained in the Wireless Telegraphy Act licences issued by Ofcom, it has become apparent that certain information that we hold is classified as environmental and we are therefore required to make it progressively available.
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 requires us to progressively release information that we hold that is currently not publicly available. For this reason we have extended the information displayed on the WTR to cover most licences issued by Ofcom. Our obligation to publish this information is set out at Regulation 4. Publication of information on the WTR fulfils this obligation.
How can you publish my contact details?
Contact details are displayed for all holders of a tradable licence. The details displayed are that of either the licence holder or a specific contact nominated by the licensee to deal with any spectrum trading enquiries. Contact details for non-tradable licence products are not provided.
Under section 31 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (as amended), Ofcom is able to make regulations to publish a register of relevant information. Since 2004 when Ofcom first made the Wireless Telegraphy (Register) Regulations 2004 information relating to tradable licences has been available. The regulations set out the information that Ofcom will publish in relation to a Wireless Telegraphy Act licence and includes such details as the identity and contact address of the holder of a wireless telegraphy licence.
The publishing of data on the Wireless Telegraphy Register fulfils our obligation under the legislation and is compliant with the Data Protection Act. Under schedule 2)5)b processing of personal data is allowed if it is ‘for the exercise of any functions conferred on any person under any enactment’, with the Wireless Telegraphy being such an enactment.
It is possible to change the contact details displayed to a business address and role (e.g. Company secretary) or to a specific spectrum trading contact. However, the licensee name will continue to be the licence holder.
Can I get my licence removed from publication?
We recognise the role that radiocommunications services play in safeguarding critical national infrastructure (CNI). Given this we have put in place a process whereby licensees who have concerns in this area may request that information on their licences is withheld from publication under EIR.
Are mobile phone masts included on the map?
Mobile network operators (MNOs) manage their own planning within blocks of assigned spectrum. More information about mobile coverage is available on our website.
Are television transmission masts included on the map?
Information on television transmitter locations is not displayed on the WTR. This information can be obtained from: Television transmitter location maps
What does 'multiple links found' mean on fixed links returns?
Where a number of fixed link licences are found for the same company within the geographic search area, the system automatically groups these together. In order to view the individual licence information, click on the 'multiple links found' link and it will show the all the links for that company in the specified area. This grouping is done because some licensees have a significant number of links.
What does 'High/Low' mean on fixed links returns?
Existing sites and the surrounding area may be designated 'transmit high' or 'transmit low', depending on the frequencies currently in use on the site. A high/low designation conflict arises when a site designation in an application conflicts with an existing site designation. For example, a high designation is requested in an application for a site that has an existing low designation. By providing High/Low information, network planners should be able to pre-check their applications for conflicts before submitting their request to Ofcom.
Why does the High/Low section of some fixed link results say "Sorry, High/Low data is not available for this result - please adjust your search criteria and try again."?
This message is returned when both ends of a link are within the defined search area. Narrowing the search area will increase the likelihood of only one end of the link matching the search criteria, in which case the system will display the High/Low information for that end of the link. The system supports a minimum search distance of 100m.
Why is a Wind Farm contact provided with fixed link licence information?
Microwave links, especially point-to-point, can be severely affected by wind turbines. Therefore, to help Wind Farm planners ensure minimum disruption to fixed link services, they are able to contact the appropriate person in the organisation to discuss potential issues. If you have an enquiry regarding a Wind Farm planning proposal you can also email windfarmenquiries@ofcom.org.uk