UK expected to get new legislation on mobile broadband spectrum this month

Legislation is expected to be published later this month that will see the recently released radio spectrum from the digital TV switchover being auctioned off in 2012 and then repurposed for mobile broadband services. This comes after three years of fighting and arguing, and Everything Everywhere deciding at the last minute not to sue the government.

Any assurances given to Everything Everywhere regarding a cap that may be put in place that will limit the amount of the highly sought after low frequency spectrum that any one company can own have yet to be clarified. Rather than battle the government in court the company, which was created following the merger between mobile network operators T-Mobile and Orange, has decided to concentrate all its efforts on the shaping of the rules that were recently announced in the new legislation.

The initial provision of mobile licences is the key reason for the issues Everything Everywhere have had for the last three years with both the government and other mobile network providers. In order to provide the best possible service and coverage when mobile phone first came out the first two mobile network providers, O2 and Vodafone were provided with 900MHz licences and following this 1800MHz and then once 3G licences were issued 2200MHz spectrum was awarded to these two operators and the two new network providers T-Mobile and Orange.

Pressure was put on the old and new government by the network operators to use the ‘digital dividend’ of 800Mhz spectrum to provide the necessary low frequency, long distance airwaves necessary to allow the provider to push their 3G and eventually 4G networks out to the more rural parts of the country.

With Vodafone and O2 deciding to keep their 900MHz spectrum rather than ‘refarming’ it to competitors Everything Everywhere have been arguing that to prevent the two provider from gaining an unfair advantage they should not be allowed to bid on any of the new spectrum.

Source – Sam Knows