OFCOM has progressed swiftly with its proposals to liberalise permitted spectrum usage under Wireless Telegraphy Act licences, and to enable trading of spectrum rights, since its initial consultation document of November 2003. Trading of spectrum rights is now made possible as from 23 December, 2004 by the Wireless Telegraphy (Spectrum Trading) Regulations, in respect of public mobile operations (data), private business radio, fixed wireless access, point to point fixed links and scanning telemetry. Separate regulations are now in force establishing the Wireless Telegraphy Register from the same date.
There has been a steady flow of statements and consultation papers from OFCOM on spectrum trading and liberalisation since August 2004, when it issued a spectrum trading consultation. On spectrum liberalisation, it issued a consultation document in September 2004, its spectrum framework review in November 2004 and a related implementation plan on 13 January, 2005, and most recently a statement on spectrum liberalisation issued on 26 January, 2005.
