April 2008 printed issue available for download

Our top story this month is the new new mood of compromise over allocating the released analogue TV frequencies

We also consider whether the US 700MHz auction has met its objectives; analyse the results of Ofcom's fourth spectrum auction and look at the proposal under consideration at the ITU to create a globally harmonised pilot channel for cognitive radio.

Read the full details at:

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=721

Consultation: Consultation on Proposed Strategy for Managing the Radio Spectrum: 2008 - 2010

In this document the Irish regulator identifies several key tasks including:
* The licensing of Digital Terrestrial Television and facilitating access to the ensuing Digital Dividend.
*The liberalisation of the GSM Spectrum bands
*The release of additional spectrum below 4 GHz to meet market demand
* Enhancing Ireland's position as a test bed for new wireless services

Read the full details at:

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=720

Consultation: Harmonisation of frequency bands for digital Public Protection and Disaster Relief applications in 380-470MHz

ERO is inviting comments on a draft decision which calls on national administrations to make sufficient spectrum available:
i) for narrow band digital Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) applications using channel spacing up to 25 kHz within the duplex bands 380-385 MHz / 390-395 MHz
and/or
ii) for wide band digital PPDR radio applications using channel spacing of 25 kHz or more within available parts of the frequency range 380-470 MHz.

Read the full details at:

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=719

700MHz auction fails to produce 'third-pipe' broadband operator

With the results of America's 'hundred-year auction' now known it's good news for the Treasury and the two dominant telcos, but for consumers it's more of the same with no guarantee of increased competition in the broadband market.

After 65 days and 261 rounds of bidding the 700MHZ auction raised a record US$19.592 billion for 1090 licenses, or nearly twice the $10 billion reserve price set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Read the full details at:

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=718

Commission spectrum proposals get rough ride in Parliament

Concerns about harmonisation, devolving powers to Brussels and a lack of democratic accountability are delaying the progress of the telecoms framework review package.

The European Parliament has expressed disquiet about the way the European Commission proposes to make frequency management more flexible to answer the needs of new technologies such as broadband and mobile services, although the Parliament supports the idea behind the move.

Read the full details at:

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=717

Sale of the century comes to an end

America's 'hundred-year auction', the 700MHz auction selling off prime spectrum released by switching off the analogue broadcasting signal, has finally closed.

After 65 days and 261 rounds of bidding the auction has provisionally raised a record US$19.592 billion for 1090 licenses. Most of the bidding for the important blocks of spectrum, and especially the C-Block which was available either as a single national licence or a handful of regional licences, ended at an early stage in proceedings. Bidding on small licences dragged proceedings out, but the auction rules stipulated the names of winning bidders would not be announced until after the auction closed.

Read the full details at:

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=716

Consultation: ECC Report on coexistence between FDD/TDD mobile systems in the 2.6GHz band

ERO is inviting comments on the results of studies on the coexistence of FDD and TDD networks in the 2.6GHz band. These include results of interference scenarios between base stations and mobile terminals.

Read the full details at:

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=715