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What is a licence?

A licence is an authority granted by Ofcom authorising a named person (or persons) to install or use radio equipment in a clearly defined way. In legal terms a ‘person’ may be an individual operating a business from his own premises, or two or more people acting together as a partnership, or a company or an incorporated association.

For further information on the legal status of a licence, please refer to section 7.

A licence consists of a licence document, a set of general terms and conditions, and a licence schedule or schedules. The licence document contains the licence prefix (or 6 figure sector/class/product code) and number, the licensee’s name and address, the licence issue/start and renewal dates.

A licence is an authority granted by Ofcom authorising a named person (or persons) to install or use radio equipment in a clearly defined way. In legal terms a ‘person’ may be an individual operating a business from his own premises, or two or more people acting together as a partnership, or a company or an incorporated association.

For further information on the legal status of a licence, please refer to section 7.

A licence consists of a licence document, a set of general terms and conditions, and a licence schedule or schedules. The licence document contains the licence prefix (or 6 figure sector/class/product code) and number, the licensee’s name and address, the licence issue/start and renewal dates.

A generic “General Licensing Conditions booklet” has been produced for most licence classes, and is available on Ofcom’s website.

The licence schedule lists the technical parameters of the service or services (a licence may have more than one service - some licences have several hundred services) covered by the licence. There are a number of standard clauses contained in the schedule section, covering areas applicable to all licences of the same licence class, including: apparatus, inspection, and interpretation. These standard clauses define the rules of use for all radio systems.

Other conditions including frequencies which may be used are added to the licence schedule in the form of clauses. A requirement for using apparatus in compliance with technical and operational conditions may be specified in a published “interface requirement”. These interface requirements are explained in section 20.

The radio spectrum is a finite resource for which demand greatly exceeds supply in many frequency bands and in many well populated geographic areas. This means that the use of frequencies needs careful planning in order to make the best use of the available spectrum, as well as ensuring that minimum interference is caused to authorised radio users. The basis for this planning is through the issue of licences - enabling Ofcom to control and plan the use of the spectrum effectively and efficiently. The installation or use of a radio service without a valid licence is an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. The only exceptions to this are where equipment is 'Licence Exempt', or if the radio equipment if used by the Crown.

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