Ofcom spectrum strategy: the next 10 years

On Wednesday 2nd October 2013, Ofcom released its proposals for managing spectrum over the coming decade.

Following the UK Government’s Communications Strategy paper, released in July 2013, Ofcom’s approach to managing spectrum will be critical in helping the Government to achieve its targets. In its consultation document, Ofcom picks up key elements from the Government’s strategy paper, which include:

  • Facilitation of greater sharing of spectrum – including expansion of the capacity available for licence-exempt use, through dynamic spectrum access
  • Preparations for a decision in whether broadcasting should be cleared from the 700 MHz band, to make way for mobile broadband
  • Investigation of what can be done to help meet the capacity needs of PMSE (wireless microphone users etc.) and PPD (emergency services)

The last major Ofcom strategy for spectrum management, following its Spectrum Framework Review in 2005, aimed to bring more spectrum to market, through: clearing and auctioning; liberalisation and allowing trading (in specified bands).

The new strategy proposal continues the theme of increasing the supply of spectrum, with the emerging needs to machine to machine communications in mind as well as broadband Internet access. Spectrum sharing is central to Ofcom’s new approach, building on Dynamic Spectrum Access technology, which is enjoying its first application in opening the TV white spaces. Spectrum sharing is relevant for bring more public sector spectrum capacity into use – without the expense/loss of function that relocating established government users would bring.

Given that spectrum policy needs to be set in an international context, it is not sufficient for Ofcom to innovate domestically. It has recognised that it needs to show greater International leadership, as it has, for example, in developing TV white spaces regulation and promoting a pan-European approach, based on an ETSI standard. This means greater participation in European and global (ITU) working groups and will come at a cost. However, the ultimate economic rewards for the UK should more than compensate.

Ofcom’s white spaces pilot prepares for launch

Earlier in 2013, Ofcom set out its vision for enabling the TV white spaces to be accessed on a licence exempt basis. The TV white spaces are the gaps left between broadcast stations to prevent services from overlapping and interfering with each other. In its proposed programme, leading to the opening of TV white space in the second half of 2014, Ofcom set out a sequence of steps culminating in a Pilot.

This will be Europe’s largest TV white spaces pilot, to date, building on valuable experience from earlier pilots ( in Cambridge and on the Isle of Bute, in Scotland). The earlier pilots established the feasibility of using the TV white spaces for useful applications (including wireless broadband and machine to machine), without harmful interference to the licensed services (DTT and PMSE).

The aim of Ofcom’s new pilot is to test the fitness of the proposed regulations rather the capabilities of the TV white spaces technology. It will allow Ofcom to validate the framework enabling white space devices to operate on a licence exempt basis. A key element of this regulation is the interaction between the white space devices and the geolocation databases which will inform them which channels are available to use (and at what power).

The Pilot will comprise a number of networks and applications, contributed by industry. The networks are being deployed in places as diverse as Glasgow, London, Isle of Wight and Oxford. Details of the participants can be found here.

For the purpose of the Pilot, Ofcom will:

  • Enter into contracts with a number of companies who have requested to be geolocation database service providers. It has spent the last few months finalising the details of these
  • Licence (TVWS) devices to be deployed in the pilot locations in application scenarios defined by the participating companies. The providers of the devices need to certify that they comply with the applicable draft ETSI BRAN standard.

When the pilot networks are up and running, in the coming weeks, Ofcom will conduct various checks and tests into the way the device-database interaction is working and also into its own processes for managing interference, to understand how these might need to change in the future.

With company names such Microsoft, Google, BT and Neul in the frame, Ofcom’s Pilot is sure to attract attention from across the world and the coverage that its announcement on 2nd October achieved illustrates the point well.

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