UK updates rules for 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz auctions

Following its initial consultation,  Ofcom recently issued its assessment of future mobile competition and revised proposals for the auction of 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum in the UK. Ofcom has significantly revised its proposals set out in its first consultation, and the auction has disappointingly (although not unexpectedly) slipped to Q4 2012 at the …

Read more

UK Parliament launches inquiry into spectrum

The UK system of government and regulation can sometimes be confusing, with the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee of the House of Commons this week announcing an inquiry into the use of spectrum in the UK and issuing a call for written evidence. The Select Committee is neither the national regulatory authority with responsibility …

Read more

UK to auction 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum in 2012

Ofcom yesterday started a consultation on the rules for a proposed auction of 250 MHz  of spectrum in the 800 MHz (aka ‘digital dividend’) band and 2.6 GHz band in the first half of 2012. This is equivalent to 75% of existing mobile spectrum. Whilst widely reported in the press as a ‘4G’ auction, apart from a proposed …

Read more

Mobile broadband event: net neutrality, mobile content, network capacity and handsets

Regular blog readers will know that I hosted a mobile data event for Cambridge Wireless yesterday. I found the event thought-provoking. For those on twitter, I attempted do a near-live tweet commentary of other speakers which you can find at @rbratby between 2 and 4 pm 20 Jan. For those who want even more, I attach details of …

Read more

Cambridge Wireless Mobile Broadband Special Interest Group meeting 20 January 2011

Whilst it is very tempting to blog about the new government’s reconsideration of the Bribery Act announced yesterday (and if you are not aware of this, you probably should be), my blogging guru tells me it is important to keep focussed on the main event, so its back to a lawyer’s take on technology and telecoms. Some of …

Read more

Broadband aid (do they know it’s Christmas)

Re-reading yesterday’s post, I hope it wasn’t too close to a law firm client update – that is not being the point of this blog. I thought I’d try to redress the balance today, and as I drove from London to Exmoor for Christmas, with the snow by the side of the road steadily increasing, …

Read more