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Foreword

1.1 The co-ordinated award of spectrum at 1785 – 1805 MHz in Ireland and Northern Ireland marks a new milestone in co-operation between the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) in considering the development of spectrum across the island of Ireland and the opportunity for new wireless services to emerge in both administrations.

1.2 As Member States of the European Union, Ireland and the UK share the same EU regulatory framework for electronic communications. The award of licences in Ireland and Northern Ireland will mark the creation of an innovative approach to securing optimal use of the radio spectrum for the benefit of citizens and consumers across the island of Ireland.

1.3 We wish to thank all those who took the time to respond to the consultation and to express our appreciation for the thoroughness of submissions.

Mike Byrne Chairperson Commission for Communications Regulation		Ed Richards Chief Executive Office of Communications

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Executive Summary

2.1 On 15 December 2005 the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) published a joint consultation entitled “Award of available spectrum: 1785 – 1805 MHz” (the “Consultation Document”). Seminars to discuss the award were held in Dublin and Belfast in February 2006. Since then, Ofcom has undertaken further technical studies to help gain information about the implications of the 1785-1805 MHz award in Northern Ireland for licensees in neighbouring bands. A further seminar to discuss the conclusions to these technical studies was held in Belfast on 8 November 2006. This document summarises the comments received and sets out the decisions taken for the separate, but co-ordinated, competitions (the “Award Processes”) to use the spectrum at 1785 - 1805 MHz (the “Spectrum Band”).

The spectrum and the process for the awards

2.2 Having carefully considered the responses received to the Consultation Document and the issues raised at the public seminars ComReg and Ofcom have concluded that substantive change to the plans and proposals set out in the Consultation Document is not needed except in respect of the technical terms and conditions for the Spectrum Band. This joint statement (the “Statement”) sets out ComReg’s and Ofcom’s conclusions and decisions on the wide range of matters raised in response to the Consultation Document including:

• the bidding process, auction rules and auction design (see section 6)
• the jurisdictional basis for the awards (see Section 4)
• spectrum packaging and spectrum harmonisation (see Section 4)
• spectrum co-ordination issues. (see Section 5)

2.3 In summary, the licences to be awarded in each jurisdiction will be for the single lot of 20MHz of spectrum, between 1785MHz and 1805MHz, by sequential sealed bid auctions, first in Ireland and then Northern Ireland.

2.4 ComReg and Ofcom are publishing, at the same time as the Statement, the following documents that are relevant to the Award Processes:

• A joint information memorandum (the “Information Memorandum”), which sets out information that interested parties should take into account when considering their possible participation in the Award Processes. It includes a description of the spectrum packaging and the auction format and rules and provides further clarification of the issues raised during the consultation process; and
• Regulations needed for the awards. ComReg will publish its draft regulations in relation to the licence for Ireland (the “Ireland Licence”).
• Ofcom will publish a notice (the “Notice”) of Ofcom’s proposal to make statutory instruments in relation to the Award Process for the licence for Northern Ireland (the “NI Licence”). These statutory instruments are the auction regulations, regulations extending spectrum trading to the Spectrum Band and regulations to allow for the publication of the identity and terms of the Licence and an order limiting the number of licences in the Spectrum Band.

2.5 ComReg and Ofcom have published the independent review of the technical licence conditions undertaken for Ofcom by Red-M, Total Airspace Management (the “Red-M Report”), which can be found on Ofcom’s web site at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/spectrumawards/ and on ComReg’s web site at: http://www.comreg.ie/search/display.asp?STID=2&search=ofcom&Match=near&ydate=&submit=Publications+Search

2.6 Because the awards are co-ordinated ComReg and Ofcom have made every attempt to keep the Award Processes and licence conditions as similar as possible, but differences do exist and interested parties are advised to familiarise themselves with the auction rules, format and regulations for Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The full document is available below:

• Award of available spectrum: 1785 - 1805 MHz [pdf]
  Full Print Version

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