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Annual Report and Accounts 1996-1997 |
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Annual Report and Accounts 1996-1997 |
The Radiocommunications Agency's Mission is to facilitate access to radio spectrum, of the appropriate quality, for the widest range of services and so to promote the creation of wealth, competition, quality and choice.
We will achieve this through:
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Providing access to the spectrum in accordance with a clear and widely publicised strategic plan |
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Seeking improvement in global and regional spectrum coordination, to the benefit of UK customers |
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Ensuring compliance with spectrum management conditions to the benefit of all users in order to keep the spectrum clean |
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Developing the skills of our staff and the supporting systems and thereby continuously improving our efficiency and effectiveness; |
and hence enhance competitiveness in the UK.
In carrying out our Mission we aim to serve the customer. A customer is anyone who uses the radio spectrum, or who would like to do so, for any of the wide and expanding range of radio-based services. This may be for business, safety-of-life purposes or one of the many leisure or cultural uses.
Our Vision is for the Radiocommunications Agency to be a catalyst for growth in the UK economy, through the innovative and widespread use of the radio spectrum. Through our management of the civil radio spectrum, we aim to facilitate the continued development and competitiveness of a wide range of radio-based services.
We plan to achieve our Vision in the following ways:
We will publish, and update annually, a strategic plan for the use and development of the radio spectrum. This will take a long-term view of spectrum needs and balance those with short-term requirements. It will also balance commercial and non-commercial spectrum demands. In formulating this plan, we shall consult widely with all interested parties - users, service providers, operators and manufacturers. We shall seek out information on a global basis about new market needs and technological developments. We shall communicate our strategic plan to market participants and so highlight new opportunities that entrepreneurs can assess and develop.
We will actively facilitate new developments and encourage industry to take up these opportunities. In our supporting role we shall champion:
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Competition, by harnessing market forces to technical innovation and by enforcing the law so that there is fairness for all |
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Quality, through promoting innovation and continuous improvement in service provision |
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Choice, by providing spectrum to support a range of radio-based services from which users can choose |
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International harmonisation of spectrum allocations and regulatory practices wherever appropriate. |
As spectrum managers, we have a special role to play in stimulating growth through improving communication about the services available in the radiocommunications market, and how these can meet user needs. In this way, working through industry, we shall help users to make informed decisions about the services that most closely match their needs. We are also committed to improving communications with our customers by providing more information about the services we offer and our charges; by publishing more information about spectrum usage; and by close consultation with customers about future plans.
The Agency has continued to make significant investment in its technical infrastructure and in developing new information systems, defining efficient and effective processes and maximising our staff resource to meet the new demands. These demands include the ability to introduce new methods for pricing products and for better accounting and for handling the growing technical demands associated with the growth in spectrum use.
The unified licensing project, RULES, is now targeted to underpin "spectrum pricing" in relation to a three year timetable from 1998 through the introduction of the new rationalised and spectrum priced licence classes. The project also aims to improve information about use of the spectrum through the interconnected relational databases being developed, to improve the processes for helping our customers (eg better licence fee collection facilities) and by providing better processes for authorising spectrum use. Evolution of the systems for frequency assignment and other technical functions has continued in close support of licensing and the targets for significant improvements for further fixed service upgrades in 1998 and mobile services in 1999 remain.
During the last year we have seen the successful implementation of products which form the initial phase of the new ALPACA accounting and ledger project. We have been able to utilise the new general ledger in delivering these accounts and to use the package for purchasing and staff time recording. The next deliverables will be for cost attribution, asset management and later - in support of RULES - the sales ledger.
The Agency's IT infrastructure development includes the ambitious EROS office automation project, the initial stages of which provided last year both internal and external electronic mail facilities. The current year will see substantial changes to the installed hardware and software infrastructure at all outstations. Many customers now make use of the Agency's Internet facility (see page 13), and an internal Intranet is currently being planned.
A new Agency Information Systems (IS) strategy will be produced by the end of the current Financial Year and will replace the current one which was developed in 1994.
The Agency's steady progress towards becoming an Investor in People (IIP) signifies our continued investment in our staff: the future of the Agency depends more than anything else upon a high level of commitment and contribution from every member of the Agency. To that end we have broadened our internal communications to an open consultative process and we are building a learning environment to maximise all staff's abilities. The Agency made a formal commitment to the IIP process on 20 August 1996.
The annual publication of the spectrum strategic plan is now a well established event. Through regular consultation the plan continues to include current developments and changes, including new types of market demand, developments in technology and innovative service or product proposals. The annual plan also reflects the latest positions reached in Europe and globally.
Radio services add substantial value to the economy and are generating rapid growth. But the radio spectrum is a finite resource, and the demands on it are many and varied. Meeting this demand, encouraging efficient and effective use, promoting new radio services and encouraging industry to take up new opportunities, are key responsibilities of the Agency in its role as a facilitator for all radio users. Effective management of the spectrum to ensure that it is being used to good effect and that as many users as possible are able to access and use spectrum are the driving forces behind our approach to the new spectrum management tools and policies which we are considering. It is our responsibility, through our advice to Ministers, to ensure that the United Kingdom obtains the greatest benefit from spectrum use. The publication of the Wireless Telegraphy Bill on 20 May 1997, following first reading in the House of Lords, is a major milestone for the enhancement of UK spectrum management. The new powers contained in the Bill, and in particular the potential to use the level of licence fees to balance spectrum supply and demand through providing pricing incentives for more efficient use, will be of great benefit. The Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent around the end of 1997.
In addition to the substantial range of information sheets which we publish, the Agency continues to promote communication with customers through a variety of different fora. These include sector consultative committees, targeted newsletters and the annual Agency Seminar and round of regional meetings throughout the country. At the seminar we are able to report the latest developments in radio communications, both policy and technology, both at home and world-wide, whilst the regional meetings allow customers to meet with the Chief Executive and his Directors, senior managers and local staff for presentations and informal discussions of local interest and relevance as well as other topics of national interest.
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