Qualcomm snaps up spectrum for £8m

L-Band to encourage wireless innovation…

US technology giant Qualcomm has bought part of the UK radio spectrum for £8m.

The company said it intends to use the 40MHz stretch of the L-Band spectrum to bring a range of wireless technologies to the UK.

In February Qualcomm announced the successful trial of its MediaFLO mobile video service with broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting.

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Andrew Gilbert, executive vice president of Qualcomm, said: "Acquiring this spectrum will enable us to develop, test and explore a variety of innovative wireless services and technologies that will benefit European consumers and the wireless industry as a whole."

It bought the spectrum in auction from regulator Ofcom at a price of £8,334,000.

Ofcom's fifth auction of radio spectrum is part of a wider programme to release spectrum for a range of uses.

Other future awards include spectrum at 2.6GHz and the spectrum that will be released through the switchover to digital television - known as the digital dividend.