UK regulator Ofcom has launched a consultation on plans to free up the 700MHz band for mobile broadband by 2022 at the latest.
Its proposal would see digital terrestrial TV services and wireless microphones being shifted from the band, without the need…
UK regulator Ofcom has launched a consultation on plans to free up the 700MHz band for mobile broadband by 2022 at the latest.
Its proposal would see digital terrestrial TV services and wireless microphones being shifted from the band, without the need for another “switchover” that was required when the country turned off analogue TV signals in the 800MHz band in 2012.
The move would give British mobile operators access to the frequencies to bolster their networks in line with their peers elsewhere in Europe.
Demand for mobile data could jump by 45 times by 2030, according to Ofcom.
Its CEO Ed Richards said: “Our plans will allow digital terrestrial TV to thrive, while ensuring the UK’s mobile infrastructure can support consumer demand and economic growth.”
The regulator expects to reach a decision on what to do with the 700MHz band by early 2015. It said it could make the band available for mobile broadband as early as 2020.
