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In line with Ofcom’s duties under the Communications Act to promote the efficient use of spectrum, Ofcom is looking to review the current regulation of license exempt (LE) applications. The review will include examining the possibility of raising the allowable power levels. Changing the regulation of these applications could bring about greater flexibility in their use, and therefore improved spectrum efficiency. The most obvious and immediate potential applications could be in the provision of wideband to rural areas of the UK.

The primary objective of the program of work described in this document is to assess the options for revising the regulation of license exempt applications (including power levels) to promote use particularly where spectrum is currently under used.

The secondary objective of the work programme is to explore the use of higher powers in licence exempt applications in order to provide wireless broadband in rural areas where other broadband technologies might be unavailable. Both Ofcom and the Government see the adoption of broadband as a national priority. Existing technologies for providing broadband are either costly or inappropriate for remote rural communities. A solution could be wireless broadband access (WBA) operating at higher powers than currently permitted. The feasibility of this approach depends on the power levels necessary and on the consequences of higher power in terms of interference and steps to mitigate that interference.

This programme aims to establish a basis on which Ofcom can make a decision on whether to permit higher powers in the license exempt bands.

The programme has been designed with two work strands, the first to consider the general impacts of increased powers in the LE bands and the second to consider the specific potential implementations and mitigation for application to Wireless Broadband in rural areas.

This project is now completed and the full report can be downloaded below.

• Understanding the Scope for a Power Increase for Wireless Broadband Access at 2.4GHz & 5.xGHz [pdf]
  Final report published May 2006: Sections 1 - 6 - 477KB
• Understanding the Scope for a Power Increase for Wireless Broadband Access at 2.4GHz & 5.xGHz [pdf]
  Final report published May 2006: Section 7 - 6.7MB
• Understanding the Scope for a Power Increase for Wireless Broadband Access at 2.4GHz & 5.xGHz [pdf]
  Final report published May 2006: Sections 8 - 11 - 317KB
• Understanding the Scope for a Power Increase for Wireless Broadband Access at 2.4GHz & 5.xGHz [pdf]
  Final report published May 2006: Annexes - 4MB

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