Spectrum, mobile & wireless update October 2016

This month Ofcom published a statement on the clearance process for 700MHz spectrum (more background on this here). While its initial plans indicated that it would be possible to make the band available by the end of 2021, Ofcom has decided to accelerate the programme by 18 months, releasing the 700MHz band in Q2 2020. It has also decided that 20MHz of spectrum in the part of the 700MHz band known as the centre gap should be allocated for use by mobile data. Also see commentary from Out-Law.

Ofcom also published a new consultation on improving consumer access to mobile services at 3.6 GHz to 3.8 GHz. Ofcom considers this band a high priority band for future mobile use, due to the large amount of spectrum available and the interest in this band for the rollout of future 5G services. Also see commentary from ISP Review.

Further to this previous update, Google announced it had completed its acquisition of wireless company Webpass. Also see Network World and Ars Technica, further commentary from which focussed on Webpass’s approach: it uses wireless solutions for “urban aggregation, not access…it connects multi-tenant units wirelessly and uses existing in-building wiring to connect the homes from the rooftop antenna.” This offers deployment efficiencies and cost savings by both negating the need for extensive civil works and through re-using existing in-building infrastructure.

Google also published a blog post on its decision to pause further expansion of its Google Fibre service: “In terms of our existing footprint, in the cities where we’ve launched or are under construction, our work will continue. For most of our “potential Fibre cities - those where we’ve been in exploratory discussions - we’re going to pause our operations and offices while we refine our approaches.” It also added that its plan “enhances our focus on new technology and deployment methods to make superfast Internet more abundant than it is today.” See further commentary from Ars Technica as well as BBC News, Network World and ThinkBroadband.

Other spectrum, mobile and wireless news this month:

• New research from Which? and OpenSignal showed  that while mobile users in London can access 4G signal 69.7% of the time, in Wales, the worst region for accessibility in the UK, users can only connect 35.4% of the time. In addition, while London is the best area for connecting to 4G, it suffers from the lowest average for 4G download speeds of all of the 12 UK regions. The average download speed in London is 18.8Mbit/s; Northern Ireland was the highest at 23.3Mbit/s. Also see BBC News and ISP Review.
• The Telegraph reported remarks by the chief executive of mobile infrastructure operator Arqiva that the UK is being left behind in the 5G race, due to operators not being able to realise a sufficient return on investment in the infrastructure required. Policy changes (such as planning reforms and increased availability of fibre) are needed to reduce costs and encourage investment.
• The US National Science Federation announced 11 awards, totalling $12 million, to support activities aimed at enhancing the public's access to spectrum, a key focus of which is sharing spectrum and ensuring harmonious co-existence of wireless technologies.
• Nokia and U.S. Cellular announced successful tests of 5G in North America demonstrating 5G fixed wireless in both indoor and outdoor environments. The tests showed how a next-generation network can provide faster speeds and lower latency for U.S. Cellular's customers.
• Telia and Ericsson announced successful outdoor tests on the first 5G trial system in Europe: “The trial in Kista, Sweden demonstrated 5G capabilities in a real world environment over a live network and included tests on speed and latency. The system used 800 MHz of spectrum in the 15 GHz band. During the test peak rates of 15 gigabits per user, and a latency below 3 milliseconds where achieved. This is more than 40 times faster than the current maximum speeds achievable on 4G.”
• The WiFi Alliance announced certification for products based on the 802.11ad standard, known as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED WiGig, which can “enable multi-gigabit performance for a range of applications such as wireless docking, augmented reality/virtual reality, multimedia streaming, gaming, and networking applications.”
• ISP Review reported that Three in partnership with CityFibre, TalkTalk, Relish Wireless and the Federation of Communication Services (FCS) is appealing to Ofcom for a 30% cap on the total amount of mobile spectrum that any one company can own.
• The Telegraph reported that UK Broadband, the company behind Relish Broadband, plans to create a new national network based on participation in Ofcom’s next spectrum auction expected early next year.
• Cable reported that Sky is to launch a mobile service at the end of October, based on O2’s network.
• Finally the Financial Times reported that the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has opened an inquiry into plans to replace then UK’s dedicated emergency services network following the report published by the National Audit Office (NAO) last month.