Vodafone: liberalisation is in our interests

In an interview with PolicyTracker Vodafone argues that re-farming
the 2G spectrum should be the first step towards liberalisation.

Nothing highlights the diversity of industry views about spectrum
liberalisation more than the arguments put forward by Europe's
biggest mobile phone company, Vodafone. Many operators, manufacturers
and broadcasters used their presentations at the ITU's recent
spectrum workshop to warn about the impact on harmonisation,
interference management and the television industry. But Vodafone
again argued that liberalisaton will benefit the industry. Richard
Feasey, the Vodafone Group Director of Public Policy, explained the
company's reasoning to Martin Sims.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=504

A tragedy of the anti-market?

Favouring a commons-based approach to the 3.6GHz band has deterred
investment in a crucial frequency for the development of wireless
broadband services, argue two leading experts.

Participants at the ITU's recent spectrum policy conference seeking
the "right balance" between market mechanisms and other management
techniques may have been surprised to receive a warning about the
limitations of the commons approach. This has been much in the mind
of regulators since the success of WiFi but according to Professor
Thomas Hazlett of George Mason University and Coleman Bazelon of the
Analysis Group the enthusiasm of the US Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) for a commons approach in 3.65 – 3.7 GHz has only
inhibited the development of services.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=503

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US spokesman resigns over WiMAX/IMT 2000

The WiMAX lobby are pleased with the outcome of the WP8F meeting in
Cameroon but other observers say it's an agreement about process not
substance.

As the ITU Working Party 8F drew to a close at the end of last week
members of the WiMAX Forum were bullish on what had been achieved and
felt the framework had been put in place for WiMAX to be accepted
into IMT2000 by the end of the next WP8F meeting in Kyoto in May for
ratification at the annual Study Group 8 meeting in June.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=502

How can we make liberalisation work?

Getting the right balance between market-based and traditional
management techniques has been the dominant theme of the ITU's
biggest spectrum policy conference in several years.

Go to a spectrum policy conference two years ago and you would have
been sold the benefits of liberalisation. Economic benefits measured
in the billions, a huge spur to innovation and a new era of freedom
for operators. But at this ITU event, the biggest and highest level
gathering for many years, the talk was mainly of the limitations of
liberalisation and getting the right balance between market-based and
traditional spectrum management techniques.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=501

UMTS Forum Vice-Chairmen at odds over spectrum liberalisation

A UMTS Forum report which claimed that liberalisation would hurt the
mobile industry and consumers has been strongly condemned by a Forum
member, Nortel, highlighting the sharp industry divisions on this issue.

Nortel has dismissed the conclusions of an UMTS Forum report which
said spectrum liberalisation would increase industry costs by 23% and cut customer purchasing power by €244Bn.
The report, called Thriving in Harmony, and produced
for the Forum by the consultants Booz Allen Hamilton argued that
abandoning the current harmonised approach to planning mobile
spectrum would fragment the market.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=497

WiMAX bandwagon gains momentum in Cameroon

Following considerable administration support for WiMAX at the ITU
Working Party 8F meeting it now appears to be a question of when
rather than if WiMAX is accepted as part of the IMT-2000 family.

Delegates at the meeting in Cameroon say a key moment came when the
US spokesperson and consultant to Qualcomm, Peter Nurse, issued a statement throwing the weight of the US administration behind making a quick decision on the inclusion of IP-OFDMA as a new radio interface.

Read the full details at: http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=495

World's first analogue switch off rather an anti-climax

Smooth transition to digital TV in the Netherlands with KPN receiving
spectrum for HDTV and extra channels.

Surprisingly, there was almost no reaction when the Netherlands
became the first country to switch over to digital television,
completely closing down analog transmissions. The country is 98 per
cent-wired for cable, and only a few border hamlets don't have it.

http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=496

Spectrum trading should not apply to broadcasting say MEPs

The broadcasting lobby has succeeded in amending a pro-liberalisation
report issued by an influential committee of MEPs, heralding a bigger
battle in the European Parliament next month.

The draft report for the Industry Committee of the European
Parliament (ITRE) was strongly supportive of the Commission's
spectrum liberalisation agenda. The document, written by Fiona Hall
MEP, supported the introduction of spectrum trading and argued that
increased spectrum flexibility would boost economies and benefit both
the commercial and public sector, including broadcasting.

Read the full details at:
http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=494

Technology neutrality raises further industry hackles

Applying the principle of technology neutrality to all forthcoming spectrum auctions has already raised fears among UK wireless microphone users – now the Broadband Wireless Access community are becoming alarmed as well.

Ofcom’s plan to auction off all the released analogue TV frequencies has attracted strong criticism with some industry observers predicting that the UK regulator may be forced into a retreat. Ofcom wants the 208MHz of spectrum not being used for digital TV to go to the highest bidder on a technology neutral basis. The wireless microphone industry claims this will decimate a sector which has relied on allocated bands and heavy hitters from Europe’s biggest centre for commercial theatre – the London West End – have rallied to the cause.

Read the full article: here

Outlook for 2007: Unlicensed spectrum

The increasing economic importance of licence-free applications is being reflected in policy debates on both sides of the Atlantic.

The advantages RFID offers to supply chain management mean that European industry is resolutely in favour of the technology. The European Commission also considers RFID to be an area of major potential growth, but it needs to reassure consumers that their personal data will be protected. This side of the pond the Commission Communication expected later this year will be the policy development to watch out for.

Read the full details here

Outlook for 2007: satellite

The coming year will be crucial for satellite operators seeking to safeguard their access to spectrum.

Influencing the agenda of the 2007 World Radio Conference is likely to remain one of the satellite industry’s key priorities. Satellite operators fear that allocating 3.4-4.2GHz to other mobile users in Europe could interfere with the sensitive equipment of the FSS currently active in the band

Read the full details at: http://www.policytracker.com/alerts.php?tact=490

Outlook for 2007: GSM on aircraft

In the first 'proper' working week of the New Year PolicyTracker will be examining the prospects for some of the policy debates which have dominated the past few months. Our first topic is creating the regulatory environment for using mobiles on planes.

Read the full details by registering here

Digital dividend review: defiantly pro-market

Ofcom’s long awaited study on using the frequencies released by analogue TV switch off has ruled out giving special treatment to public service broadcasters wanting to provide terrestrial high definition television. Read the full article here

Commission paves the way for mobile TV via satellite

The satellite sector looks set to benefit from the harmonised use of 2GHz for the provision of mobile satellite services but with several projects vying for a limited chunk of this spectrum, not everybody is going to be a winner.

Read the full article here

Sceptical reaction to claims that liberalisation will cut mobile revenues by €244 Bn

Moving from harmonisation to liberalisation will damage the mobile ecosystem and the interests of consumers claims a report for the UMTS Forum. But not everyone is convinced, as Pamela Whitby reports.

Any research backed by a body representing the interests of a particular sector of industry must be taken with a pinch of salt. Although the Booz Allen Hamilton study conducted on behalf of the UMTS Forum is no exception, one cannot ignore the claim that a harmonised approach will result in an increase of EUR 244 billion in consumer purchasing power and 37 per cent higher growth in end user penetration over the next 15 years.

Read the full article here.

Digital Dividend Review: Ofcom fails to placate PMSE sector

Ofcom say they have made every effort to protect wireless microphone users in planning for digital switch over but industry fears remain.

There can be little doubt that releasing 112 MHz of prime spectrum will be a boost for UK plc, particularly when demand is growing at 10-20% per annum. Ofcom estimates that the value to the economy will be £5-10 billion over 20 years, ignoring any treasury income from auctions. However, there may be losers as well as winners among the range of industries using or seeking to use the analogue TV frequencies.

Read the full story here

Audio interview about Ofcom’s Digital Dividend Review

Philip Rutnam, Ofcom’s Partner for the Spectrum Policy Group discusses the key issues raised by the regulator's plan for re-using the analogue TV spectrum.

He is speaking to Martin Sims from PolicyTracker and starts by discussing the decision not to reserve digital dividend spectrum for broadcasters to use for HDTV.

Hear the interview by registering here

Outlook for 2007: spectrum liberalisation

In ten years time, how far will Europe have got with its spectrum liberalisation agenda? That was PolicyTracker's question for the New Year and although responses were varied any expectation of rapid change seems to have disappeared.

The cautious liberalisers, and quite often people with a more technical background, found the question difficult to answer. However, those whose responses rolled quickly off the tongue tended to have an economics background.

Read the full article here