UK regulator Ofcom plans spectrum auction in early 2016 to bolster LTE, lay groundwork for 5G
U.K. telecom regulator Ofcom said it plans to conduct a spectrum auction early next year in a move to bolster domestic LTE operations as well as set the table for the rollout of “5G” services.
The planned 190 megahertz of new spectrum will be spread across the 2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz bands, and be made available by the Ministry of Defense as part of a wider government initiative to free up spectrum resources for commercial use. Ofcom noted the newly available spectrum resources equal three-fourths of the spectrum provided in the governments 2013 auction proceedings.
Ofcom in 2013 auctioned off 250 megahertz of total spectrum in the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz band in support of LTE services.
The new spectrum resources will include a reserve price of 70 million pounds ($107.5 million) and there are no plans to cap the amount of spectrum bidders can acquire. Ofcom explained any form of cap on participation “could prevent a bidder from buying large blocks of adjacent spectrum.”
Spectrum blocks will include 10 megahertz each in the 2.3 GHz band and 5-megahertz channels in the 3.4 GHz band. The government agency noted a number of existing handsets, including Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy models, currently support the 2.3 GHz band due to the use of that band in 10 countries outside of Europe. The 3.4 GHz band is said to be used for wireless broadband services in six countries, including the U.K., Canada and Spain.
“This auction is an important step in ensuring that the U.K. has the wireless capability to deliver and support new technology,” said Philip Marnick, spectrum group director at Ofcom. “We’re responding to rapid change and innovation in the communications sector, which is placing greater demands on spectrum. Part of our plan to meet this demand is by making new spectrum available and allowing it to be used in a number of different ways.”
The relatively high-band nature of the spectrum set to be auctioned plays into the country’s plans to support small cell deployments designed to bolster capacity and coverage in densely populated markets.
Ofcom has made a number of moves to allow mobile operators to more efficiently use their existing spectrum resources, including some initially controversial decisions to allow operators to tap into spectrum earmarked for 2G and 3G services to support LTE rollouts. Analyst firms have also urged the government to free up as much as 650 megahertz of new spectrum in order to support growing consumer demand.
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