Spectrum Policy Forum Launches Report on UK Spectrum Usage and Demand
· Research by Real Wireless demonstrates need for cooperation across multiple industries to maximise spectrum benefits
· First in a series of reports looking at cross-industry spectrum requirements in the medium-long term
27March 2015: The UK Spectrum Policy Forum, the industry-led sounding board to Government and Ofcom, has today launched the first in a series of reports on UK Spectrum Usage and Demand. Based on research from independent experts Real Wireless and drawing on the inputs of a panel of contributors for each sector, the report includes views on the importance of spectrum as a national resource from the space, utilities, business radio, meteorology and mobile industries.
UK Spectrum Usage and Demand sets out the spectrum needs of different sectors in relation to their contributions to social and economic value. As such, the report reflects the sometimes contradictory priorities from different industries, with the aim of fostering open discussion and mutual understanding.
Raj Sivalingam, Executive Director of the UK Spectrum Policy Forum commented: “Spectrum is a hugely valuable, but limited, resource. The potential social and economic benefits are enormous, so it is important we fully understand future demand across multiple industries. Through extensive engagement we will be able to identify the spectrum pinch points, which will guide the future work of UK Spectrum Policy Forum, to inform future policy debates and maximise social and economic benefits from spectrum in the long-term.”
The key sector trends identified by the Real Wireless report are:
· Public Mobile: increasing data consumption will put pressure on spectrum allocations, and change how spectrum is used by the sector.
· Utilities: the move toward ‘smart’ utilities will drive a move away from reliance on wireless, toward a combination of networks that can provide the necessary security and resilience.
· Business Radio: demand for always-on connectivity and increasing data usage are driving the move to digital radio. The nature of these communications requires a high level of resilience, and for some users this translates into a desire for dedicated spectrum bands in mission-critical scenarios.
· Space: a growth area for the UK, this sector needs to preserve and secure existing spectrum holdings and seek expansion opportunities to maintain innovation and investment.
Professor Simon Saunders, Director of Technology at Real Wireless said: “Real Wireless was commissioned to provide a snapshot of current spectrum usage and expected long-term future needs of the major users of spectrum in the UK. The report identifies the business and societal activities that depend on spectrum and associated drivers of value. We found that there are multiple industries with sometimes conflicting requirements, so the work of the Spectrum Policy Forum is of vital importance if UK industries are to get the most from wireless services. At Real Wireless we work to bridge that gap between the users of wireless and the suppliers of wireless services.”
Today’s report marks the first anniversary of publication of the UK Spectrum Strategy, which was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron at CEBIT 2014. A second edition of the report is planned for later this year, to cover Defence, Short-range devices & Wi-Fi, Broadcasting, Amateur Radio, Fixed Wireless Access and Transportation.
About the UK Spectrum Policy Forum
UK Spectrum Policy Forum is the industry-led sounding board to Government and Ofcom on future spectrum management and regulatory policy with a view to maximising the benefits of spectrum for the UK. The main objective of the Forum is to enable the policy and regulatory environment for maximising access to spectrum through cross-industry leadership and exploring ‘over the horizon’ issues in spectrum-using applications.
The UK Spectrum Policy Forum is supported by techUK.
About techUK
techUK represents the companies and technologies that are defining today the world that we will live in tomorrow. More than 850 companies are members of techUK. Collectively they employ approximately 700,000 people, about half of all tech sector jobs in the UK. These companies range from leading FTSE 100 companies to new innovative start-ups. The majority of our members are small and medium sized businesses.
techUK is committed to helping its members grow, by:
- Developing markets
- Developing relationships and networks
- Reducing business costs
- Reducing business risks.
About Real Wireless
Real Wireless is the pre-eminent independent expert advisor in wireless technology, strategy & regulation worldwide. It bridges the technical and commercial gap between the wireless industry (operators, vendors and regulators) and users of wireless (venues, transportation, retail and the public sector) – indeed any organization which is serious about getting the best from wireless to the benefit of their business.
Real Wireless demystifies wireless and helps its customers get the best from it, by understanding business needs and using its deep knowledge of wireless technology to create an effective wireless strategy, business plan, implementation plan and management process.
Its experts have worked at senior levels in vendors, operators, regulators and academia, with expertise in radio propagation, international spectrum regulation, wireless infrastructures and many other areas with specific experience in LTE, LTE-A, 5G, UMTS, HSPA, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, DAB, DTT, GSM, TETRA, PMR, PMSE, IoT/M2M, Bluetooth, Zigbee, small cells, radio, core and transport networks.
Real Wireless customers include Ofcom, Wembley Stadium, Transport for London, BAA, The European Commission, Virgin Media, Amdocs, iBwave, major network operators and many more.
