Spectrum auction may kick-start mobile TV
A valuable chunk of the UK's radio spectrum will be auctioned off early next year, a move which could speed up the rollout of mobile television services.
Communications regulator Ofcom announced on Friday that 40MHz of spectrum, between 1452MHz and 1492MHz, will be made available in the first quarter of 2007.
This spectrum is suitable for a range of service, including mobile TV, WiMax and satellite digital radio. Companies who are awarded spectrum through the auction will have the freedom to choose which services they offer. Ofcom has indicated that it is prepared to split the available spectrum between more than one successful bidder.
Several telecoms operators are interested in launching mobile TV services in the UK, including BT and O2.
BT's product, called Movio, is based on digital audio broadcasting (DAB), and is designed to work in the spectrum band between 1452MHz and 1492MHz. Virgin Mobile has already agreed to offer BT's service to its customers, using existing DAB channels.
O2 has chosen a technology called DVB-H, which it claims is more sophisticated than DAB-based rivals. However, O2 has been trialling its service in the UHF band, between 470MHZ and 850MHz.
The UHF band is currently used for analogue TV broadcasting, and under the government's current plans it will not be made available for new use until 2012, when the digital switchover has taken place.
It appears that while DVB-H could technically operate in the 1452MHz and 1492MHz band, this would be less suitable then the UHF band.
Dr Hyacinth Nwana, managing director for mobile media solutions at Arqiva — which was involved with O2's DVB-H trials — said in February that the 1452MHz and 1492MHz band was "not ideal" for DVB-H.
Last year, O2 called on Ofcom to release spectrum suitable for DVB-H.
BT was cautious when asked whether it planned to take part in next year's auction.
"We must look at the proposal in details," said a BT spokeswoman, adding that this is just one of several upcoming spectrum auctions.
Ofcom is committed to auctioning off over 400MHz of spectrum over the next few years.