UK regulator Ofcom has announced that it plans to sell spectrum that is being released by the country’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a bid to boost the country’s 4G LTE broadband capacity.
Some 190 MHz of radio spectrum is being released by the MoD, which is equivalent to approximately three-quarters of the 4G spectrum auctioned by Ofcom to operators in February 2013.
All of the frequencies that Ofcom is releasing are below 5 Ghz and Ofcom believes that the offer would attract the companies who wish to deliver 4G wireless broadband services. The 4G connections at these bandwidths would not be ideal for wide areas or for travelling through thick walls, but they could be used for creating 4G hotspots.
Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards commented: “This is a very significant next step forward in Ofcom’s long-term strategy for managing spectrum. Over the next decade we will see a revolution in the way that people connect to the internet, driven by the ability to wirelessly access the internet at super fast speeds. 4G is likely to open up a new wave of wireless innovation that will deliver considerable benefits to society and the UK’s digital economy,” he commented.
In July, Ofcom liberalised all licenses in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz frequency band categories, giving operators the freedom to use their 2G and 3G spectrum bands in order to provide faster mobile broadband speeds.
In February, the regulator announced that all five winning bidders of the UK’s 4G LTE auction had secured the 800MHz spectrum.
EE, Three, Vodafone, O2 and BT succeeded in winning spectrum and collectively paid Ofcom £2.3 billion, which fell short of the government’s estimates by £1.2 billion.
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