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Where to obtain a licence

Most Wireless Telegraphy Act licences are available from Ofcom headquarters and are accessed though the details published on Ofcom’s spectrum portal on the website. Some other types of licences have been contracted out to private companies, either because they are easy and quick to process (e.g. Amateur licences) or because they require particular expertise (e.g. Programme Making). Whatever means of licence issue is deployed; all licences are issued on behalf of Ofcom and in accordance with the Wireless Telegraphy Act.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/licensing/

What happens before a licence is granted

Everyone must apply and be issued with a licence before they can install or operate a service, or install and use equipment (unless the service or equipment has been made exempt). The majority of licence applications are made by completing the relevant application form (available from the website or on request) and sending the form to Ofcom.

• For use of radio stations and networks which involve high antennas or powerful transmitting equipment being installed, part of the licence issuing process might involve a process called ‘site clearance’. The site clearance procedure enables existing users of the radio spectrum to conduct an assessment of a range of site specific compatibility issues, e.g. blocking, inter-modulation, obstructions etc and, if there is a potential problem to provide comments back to the Radio Site Clearance Committee (an inter- Governmental group) and ‘hold’ an application until a satisfactory solution has been agreed by all parties.
• The procedure does not take into account the effect of radio services on non-radio equipment, e.g. electronic devices, unless there is a direct safety-of-life concern. The procedure does therefore consider aircraft and munitions, which could malfunction in the presence of radio transmissions

Site clearance should not be confused with obtaining planning permission to put up a Mast site. Ofcom has no responsibility for planning permission which is a matter for local authority planning departments.

Stations and networks for some locations and classes also require co-ordination arrangements with other countries before rights to use them can be granted. These reflect international agreements with those countries. These arrangements are also detailed in the following chapters.

Time-scale for new licences

For new licence applications, there are targets for licence issue after receipt of correctly completed applications. These will be separately published from time to time. However there is an overall requirement in the WT Act to process licences or further grants of rights to use frequencies within 6 weeks, except in cases which involve international co-ordination.

E-Licensing /signatures

Under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 an application form sent electronically has the same status as the same form sent on paper. Ofcom will issue a licence in good faith to the person named and the customer will be given one month to notify them if the licence is incorrect.

Renewals

Most licences issued by Ofcom may be renewed annually (unless stated in the licence or the licensee wishes to surrender the licence at the end of the year). Licences are renewed upon payment of the renewal fee, for which Ofcom will make every reasonable effort to send reminders, although responsibility to renew a licence lies with the Licensee. If you are a current Licensee, you are sent a renewal notice six weeks before the renewal date. It is then your decision whether to renew or cancel your licence. A final notice one-week prior to expiry is sent out to the licensee. If fees are not paid, then the licence will lapse at renewal date, and any use of the equipment concerned would not then be licensed. See section 11.

Ofcom may publish targets for processing renewals.

When the renewal fee is received Ofcom will send a renewal receipt document which confirms receipt of the renewal fee and states the next renewal date. Ofcom does not normally issue a new licence document each time a licence is renewed, except for certain classes.

Service levels

Ofcom may improve the level of service offered to customers through greater flexibility in methods of payment as well as timing of licence renewals. Policies on both these areas are under discussion, but are expected to generally arise when several licences are held and go along the following lines:

• To offer the customer the opportunity to re-set the renewal date for each licence to a common renewal date. This will not be compulsory, nor will it be necessary to harmonise every licence held by an account customer
• If the customer has a large number of licences, two renewal dates can be chosen. The account customer can then align a given licence to either of the dates. By using two dates the customer can prevent possible administrative/ cash flow problems arising due to uneven flow of cash/ administrative work
• A given harmonisation date can be one of the Licensee’s existing renewal dates

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