January 2011 PDF edition

The FCC's announcement that it will find 500 MHz of new spectrum for wireless broadband has certainly struck a chord in Europe and that is our top story this month. 

In the UK there seems some doubt as to where this amount of spectrum will come from, while Sweden has set out a clear plan for the amounts involved and when they will be released.

The full contents list for the January issue of PolicyTracker is below and the whole issue is available as a PDF download here:

https://www.policytracker.com/Back issues/PT-Jan-11.pdf

Contents

3

UK defence ministry revives spectrum plans

4

Swiss to auction digital dividend, UMTS and GSM mobile frequencies

5

Germany to make spectrum use more flexible

6

Sweden to use 800 MHz auction to achieve universal broadband coverage

8

Report recommends harmonised Euro spectrum for PPDR

10

Qualcomm makes  impressive profit from spectrum sale

11

Hong Kong to auction four new mobile licences in  February

12

European pressure grows for 2016 global IMT spectrum action

13

EU telecoms ministers address radio frequency allocation

14

FCC seeks to improve access 

to spectrum

15

CONSULTATIONS

16

Vodafone launches LTE 800 in rural Germany

Four bidders win spectrum in Estonia’s 4G auction

Estonia's telecoms regulator has revealed the winning bidders in its auction of spectrum in the 2500 - 2690 MHz band.

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/four-bidders-win-spectrum-in-estonia2019s-4g-auction

Qualcomm makes impressive profit from spectrum sale

Having earlier announced it is abandoning its stalled mobile TV business MediaFlo, US chipmaker Qualcomm has recouped a hefty chunk of its investment by selling the MediaFlo spectrum to AT&T. The mobile giant will use it for LTE. 

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/qualcomm-makes-impressive-profit-from-700-mhz-spectrum-sale

UK defence ministry revives spectrum plans

After a two-year delay, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is restarting its spectrum liberalisation programme. Companies looking to use the surplus spectrum welcomed the move but said the release should now take place as quickly as possible. 

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/uk-defence-ministry-revives-spectrum-release-plans

Sweden to use 800 MHz auction to achieve universal broadband coverage

Licences to use frequencies in the 800 MHz band in Sweden will be assigned in an auction starting at the end of February 2011, according to the regulator PTS. Those interested must apply no later than 31 January. 

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/sweden-to-use-800-mhz-auction-to-ensure-universal-broadband-access

Report recommends harmonised Euro spectrum for PPDR

Germany should advocate pan-European harmonised spectrum above and below 1 GHz for public protection and disaster relief, WiK Consult and Aegis Systems have said in a study carried out for the country's regulator and government. Scott Marcus, one of the authors of the study, believes it should spur a more intense discussion of the issues.

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/report-recommends-pan-european-harmonised-spectrum-for-ppdr

Hong Kong to auction four new mobile licences in February

The Hong Kong telecoms regulator has announced plans to auction the territory's remaining unused spectrum in the 850 and 900 MHz bands and the 2 GHz band in February 2011.

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/hong-kong-to-auction-four-new-mobile-licences-in-february-2011

European pressure grows for 2016 global IMT spectrum action

Mobile interests are lobbying regional groups to develop WRC-16 proposals to rationalise, consolidate and expand on frequency bands identified for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) for further harmonisation on a global basis. 

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/european-pressure-grows-for-global-imt-spectrum-action-in-2016

Mobile interests hail 3.4—3.8 GHz as key band for 4G services

IMT-Advanced co-existence with very small aperture terminals, TV receive-only and satellite news gathering devices could "seriously hamper" the chances of the technology fulfilling its promise, according to a study published by the UMTS Forum. 

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/mobile-interests-hail-3.420143.8-ghz-as-the-key-band-for-4g-services

Vodafone launches LTE 800 in rural Germany

The first large-scale commercial deployment of LTE is underway in Germany, where Vodafone is rolling out the service to rural areas using 800 MHz spectrum. The company will then turn its attention to towns and cities, where it will deploy LTE at 2.6 GHz. 

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/vodafone-launches-lte-800-in-rural-germany

Swiss to auction digital dividend, UMTS and GSM mobile frequencies

Swiss communications authorities will auction more than 600 MHz from the digital dividend and other crucial mobile bands in an auction expected before the 2011 summer holidays.

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/swiss-to-auction-digital-dividend-umts-and-gsm-mobile-frequencies

FCC seeks to improve access to spectrum

In its "first formal step" towards spectrum incentive auctions, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed giving wireless broadband providers equal access to TV broadcast frequencies that may open up in auctions and allowing broadcasters to voluntarily share channels.

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/fcc-seeks-to-improve-access-to-spectrum

UK to find 500 MHz of spectrum for “superfast” broadband

The UK is to follow the lead taken by the US (and more recently Sweden) in releasing 500 MHz of new spectrum suitable for wireless broadband to the market over the next 10 years, according to a government document released this week. 

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/uk-to-find-500-mhz-of-extra-spectrum-for-201csuperfast201d-broadband

Germany to make spectrum use more flexible

German regulator BNetzA has revealed it is updating the country's frequency usage plan to meet the needs of the government's broadband strategy.

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/germany-to-make-spectrum-use-more-flexible

EU telecoms ministers to address radio frequency allocation

EU telecoms ministers will debate the European Commission's radio spectrum policy programme today at their Council meeting in Brussels.

Read the whole article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/eu-telecoms-ministers-to-address-radio-frequency-allocation

December 2010 PDF edition

Our lead story this month considers the fortunes of fixed and mobile WiMAX as a UK company prepares to launch services using the 4G variant of the technology. 

We also report on the development of a familiar broadcaster/mobile split over the digital dividend in the Asia Pacific region and the industry surprise over news that Qualcomm has developed a chip for digital wireless mics. 

The full contents list for the December issue of PolicyTracker is below and the whole issue is available for download here:

https://www.policytracker.com/Back%20issues/PT-Dec-10.pdf

Spectrum Auctions Masterclass

10-14 January 2011, Farnham Castle, UK

Book before Dec 6 and save £500!

http://www.policytracker.com/auctions_masterclass

POLICYTRACKER NOVEMBER 2010

CONTENTS

4

Mobile WiMAX could fade away but fixed version forges ahead

6

NTIA unveils plans for releasing 500 MHz

7

Ofcom gets to grips with not-spots

8

Operators sanguine about 2014 launch for LTE in the UK

9

Minister's reassurances deflect legal action on refarming

11

Broadband/broadcast fight over digital dividend spreads to Asia Pacific

12

Danes ready for auctions in 2010 and 2011

13

Spanish mobile operators ask for faster refarming

14

Ofcom consults on geolocation issues

15

Cognitive techniques for PMSE offer spectrum solutions

16

Is spectrum harmonisation the solution for wireless microphones?

18

Qualcomm announces chipset for digital wireless mic

20

New Brazilian operators' association takes legal action over auction