Ofcom ‘failed to make the case’ for taking DTT spectrum for mobile

Editor | 17-11-2012

UK broadcast and mobile infrastructure specialists Arqiva has slammed telecoms regulator Ofcom after its decision to make available 700 MHz spectrum, used by Freeview today, for mobile service use.

The regulator says that by 2030, mobile data demand could be 80 times higher than today and meeting this increase could deliver significant benefits to consumers, through new and improved mobile data services. It could also sustain wider growth in the economy by improving the capability of the UK's mobile infrastructure.

Yet it said the only frequencies likely to meet there services’ requirements were part of the 700 MHz spectrum currently used by the Freeview digital terrestrial television (DTT) service , and also accessed by equipment for entertainment programmes and live events.

Accepting that allocating this band to mobile services may leave the DTT platform with insufficient TV channel capacity to continue to fulfil the roles it performs today—because other platforms including satellite, cable and IPTV were unlikely to provide a suitable alternative to DTT when additional low frequency spectrum is needed for mobile broadband—Ofcom decided to allocate 600 MHz spectrum to DTT in the longer term.

Yet while essentially welcoming Ofcom’s clear long term commitment to ensuring a future for Freeview, Arqiva said that Ofcom has yet to make the case for this change and what it warned would be a “huge” disruption that would be caused to TV viewers as a result.

Said Charles Constable, Chair of Freeview, "There is a real opportunity for Ofcom to [allocate] spectrum in the immediate future for HD services in accordance with the proposals from the BBC, Channel 4 and Arqiva... Despite its enduring popularity, TV has been the poor relation in terms of spectrum allocation for the development of new services. Making this unused spectrum available will further enhance the HD channels offered on Freeview, giving something back to millions of viewers and encouraging a new era of HD content.”