News


in the UK have been published by the media regulator Ofcom, which intends to auction frequencies at 800 MHz and 2·6 GHz at the end of this year. A new document published by


Spreading the UK’s 4G dividend R


evised proposals for making 4G mobile spectrum available


Ofcom this month embodies feed- back from a consultation it held between March and May last year. T is off ers the public an oppor- tunity to comment on the latest proposals before Ofcom makes its fi nal decisions about the auction. Released as part of the ‘digital


dividend’ from the analogue TV shutdown, the 800 MHz frequen- cies are expected to prove alluring to operators of LTE or WiMAX services, because the relatively low frequency will allow economic coverage of many rural areas.


Design changes In the document, Ofcom identi- fi es some signifi cant changes


E


ricsson’s chief executive, Hans Vestberg, ended his keynote


speech at the International CES technology show in Las Vegas earlier this month by demonstrating a new ‘capacitive coupling’ technology from the company’s research labs. A photograph was transferred from a telephone, then hand-to- hand, through the human body, to the large screen, without using radio signals. “Ultimately, we are the network”, he said.


& Chelsea areas of London are to enjoy free Wi-Fi access on their mobile phones, laptops and tablet devices, through an agreement between the local authorities and network operator O2


. Work begins this month to in-


stall the system, which is expected to be the largest free wireless


4


London’s free Wi-Fi zone V


isitors and residents in the Westminster and Kensington


hub in Europe. T rough wireless equipment installed on street furniture, it will provide com- munications for the millions who will converge on London this year for the double celebrations of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games, whilst delivering longer-term benefi ts to businesses. Derek McManus, chief operat- said, “Our longer-


ing offi cer of O2 Wi-Fi, which is open to


to its earlier thinking. One of these is a withdrawal of its earlier proposal to guarantee spectrum at 800 MHz for Everything Every- where (operator of the Orange and T-Mobile UK services) and an- other operator, in order to ensure competition between operators in the future. But the regulator now believes that Everything Every- where’s large spectrum holding at 1800 MHz will be suffi cient for it to compete adequately with other 4G operators. In the earlier consultation, Of-


com planned to impose a 95 per cent population coverage obliga- tion on one of the new 800 MHz licensees. But now it wants to go further – either by increasing the obligation to 98 per cent popula- tion coverage, or by requiring to operator not only to match the existing 2G coverage but also to extends into mobile ‘not spot’ areas of the UK where a £150 mil- lion Government fund will help


Olympic exemptions


pay for infrastructure. Also put forward is a proposal to reserve spectrum in the 2·6 GHz band to be shared by a group of companies to deliver innovative new mobile services for consumers. Potential applications include local mobile networks for student campuses, hospitals or commercial offi ces.


Interference fears Ofcom also comments in the document on a potential interfer- ence threat from new 4G services to a number of existing radio serv- ices, including the 862–863 MHz band used for certain police and fi re service communications sys- tems and the 863–870 MHz EU harmonized band for short-range devices.


• Closing date for responses to the proposals is March 12. Th e con- sultation document can be down- loaded from http://stakeholders. ofcom.org.uk/consultations/


U


nder new regulations announced by Ofcom,


licences will no longer be required for a number of classes of radio device. They include personal locator beacons (PLBs) used on land, wireless access user equipment for 3400– 3800 MHz band; safety-related Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) infrastructure at 5875– 5905 MHz; user equipment connecting to the 2012 London Games Tetra (Apollo) network; and 4G mobile user equipment (LTE and WiMAX) for 900/1800 MHz.


Satnav


summit L


ocal Transport Minister Norman Baker is to host


the Government’s fi rst ‘Satnav Summit’ to thrash out solutions to end the misery caused when lorry and car drivers follow out-of- date directions from their satnavs. At present, thousands of


drivers follow out-of-date maps, and residents end up with inappropriate traffi c on their doorsteps. Furthermore, some motorists do not update their satnav maps, either because they forget or are not aware they can. The summit will take place


in early March, a month before local authorities gain new powers to decide how their roads appear on maps. Norman Baker said: “It


term aim is to expand our footprint of O2


everyone, and also intelligently enhance our services at street level, where people need the network the most. Our £500 million annual network investment programme is focused on integrating new layers of technology into the existing network to enable a seamless and sustained customer experience.”


is vital highway authorities, mapping companies and satnav manufacturers work more closely together to provide drivers with accurate, up-to-date information on traffi c restrictions such as narrow roads or low bridges. This will help prevent huge lorries from being sent down inappropriate roads and ensure motorists are given the best possible directions.”


LAND mobile January 2012


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