A proposed ‘special condition” that will be attached to the auction of 800MHz airwaves freed up as the UK switches from analogue to digital TV – the so called “digital dividend- – in order to promote competition and make 4th Generation (4G) mobile spectrum available even in areas where there is little or no commercial incentive, has been published for consultation by Ofcom.
In a March 2011 consultation, Ofcom proposed that a special condition attached to one of the 800MHz licences would oblige the holder to roll out a 4G network to at least 95% of the UK population. Following the government’s October decision to spend £150m providing infrastructure capable of supporting 4G coverage in so-called ‘not-spots’, Ofcom now proposes extending this condition either to require 98% coverage of the UK population or to require one 800MHz operator to provide 4G coverage that not only matches 2G coverage, but extends into the ‘not-spot’ areas.
Second consultation on assessment of future mobile competition and proposals for the award of 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum and related issues’ is available at http://tinyurl.com/Wzlnf-6hl45
