Annual Report & Accounts 1998 - 1999

Annual Review of Activity

Addressing Market Requirements

Demand for licences continued to be strong, underlining the importance of radiocommunications to the knowledge driven economy. The key business sectors of private business radio and fixed links both saw increases in the numbers of licences on issue over the year of around 10% and there was particularly strong growth in space services, including considerable demand for transportable earth station clearances. The Agency continues to endeavour to meet the demand for assignments through deploying progressive spectrum management methodology and improving its business systems and processes as described elsewhere in this report. However, for some services, notably mobile radio and fixed links, there are difficulties in finding spectrum for new assignments, particularly in central London and the corridors between major cities.

Table 1 below gives numbers of different types of licences on issue at 31 March 1999 compared to 12 months earlier. It should be noted that the statistics provide a snapshot at a fixed moment in time. They are useful for making historical comparisons but are not necessarily a reliable indicator of dynamic demand pressures at a time of fast-moving market and technological change.

Table1: Number of Licences on Issue at 31 March

Footnotes

(1) Licences distributed by SSL Ltd.

(2) One of these licences is issued to NTL (National Transcommunications Ltd.) which covers 79 local stations.

(3) During the year 279 Restricted Radio Services licences were issued.

(4) With effect from 1 April 1997, a single fee was introduced for both pleasure and non-pleasure vessels.

(5) With effect from 20 July 1998, a distinct new licence class of On-site Private Business radio was introduced. Those licences with on-site services only moved over from the Standard Private Business radio class, resulting in a reduced standard total.

(6) From 1 April 1998, the PMR Parking and Demonstration and Short Term Hire licences were abolished and replaced by the Private Business Radio Suppliers' licence.

(7) As from 23 March 1999, the yearly fee is being waived for the Short Range Business radio service. This is being replaced by the new PMR 446 licence-exempt service which starts from 19 April 1999. Until 30 september 1999, the Agency will continue to issue free of charge SRBR licences valid until 31 December 2003 but expects no further income from the service.

(8) Each customer holds an annual licence that may contain numerous frequency assignments. During the term of the licence frequencies may be added as the customer requires, either for short term or annual use. The number of frequency assignments made during 1998-99 was 46,332.

(9) Figures for space service earth station licences do not equate to the total number of individual earth stations since licences are presently issued to the major operators on an omnibus basis.

(10) The licences under this category are quoted per network and represent a total of approximately 4,000 individual VSAT terminals.

Top

The fourth edition of the Agency's Strategy for the Future Use of the Radio Spectrum in the UK gives a more complete picture of developments and future prospects. This is currently being revised and an updated version is due to be published in autumn 1999. Key spectrum management developments during the year included the following:

Stan Murphy of the RA Fixed Links Unit, using FILSM Fixed Link Assignment System

Broadcasting The launch of digital terrestrial and satellite television in late 1998 represented the successful outcome of the work of a number of organisations. The ground rules for spectrum planning and co-ordination agreed at Chester in 1997 came into their own to help unlock negotiations with other countries to clear the spectrum. As a result, the roll-out of digital terrestrial television is running to plan with minimal complications from international requirements. Plans are currently in hand to seek to improve coverage from the current 81 sites as well as to consider the use of additional sites for digital television. The Government's attention, as well as that of the international spectrum management bodies, is now turning to the longer term prospect of switching over entirely to digital TV. This will bring exciting prospects for using the vacated spectrum for new broadcasting and non-broadcasting services. Together with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Agency commissioned consultants to study the economic impact of policies designed to promote digital television and some issues involved in analogue switch-off. This report formed the basis for a consultation, the outcome of which was announced in June 1999. The Government will make a further announcement on the migration to digital broadcasting in late 1999.

Following the start of BBC digital radio broadcasting, the Radio Authority has started to license independent digital radio services which are scheduled to start late in 1999. In support of this work, the Agency is working closely with the Authority and the BBC on planning and co-ordination issues, including gaining international agreement for additional spectrum allocations at 1.5 GHz. These frequencies are due to be incorporated into the international planning process through a conference in 2000. In addition, the Agency is working in international fora on the scope for digital broadcasting in short-wave, long-wave and medium-wave bands.

The Agency's work on analogue spectrum issues has continued at a high level. The Radio Authority maintained its programme of licensing independent local radio stations and large numbers of restricted radio services. The Isle of Man invited applications for a licence for a long wave service whose transmission parameters the Agency has been seeking to co-ordinate internationally.

Similarly, on the television side, improvements to Channel 5 transmissions coincided with the launch of a new television licensing regime by the Independent Television Commission. The Broadcasting Act 1996 created a new licence category known as Restricted Television Services and the first licence was issued in the year for a service covering the Isle of Wight. A number of these stations, with short duration and relatively limited coverage, are in the pipeline and many are undergoing international co-ordination processes.

Fixed Terrestrial and Satellite Links

There was sustained demand throughout the year for new terrestrial point-to-point links. This sector represents a major element of Agency business, with applications for new links running at about 500 per month. The phased expansion of the FiLSM computerised assignment and licensing project to cover all fixed link frequency bands received high priority, but problems with data transfer has delayed final acceptance of the system by several months. This has had a knock-on effect on the level of service provided and there have been some inevitable delays in application turnaround times.

Preparations for fixed link spectrum pricing are virtually complete, and the revised consultation structure based around the new Fixed Link Co-ordination Committee is fully operational. A series of MPT1700 Technical Regulations identifying the systems from the relevant European Standards which will be permitted in the UK is being progressively introduced to replace the earlier MPT1400 national specifications.

Programme Making and Special Events The Agency has contracted JFMG Ltd to manage and license the spectrum used for programme making and special events, but retains responsibility for licensing radio use at major international motor sports events, in particular the Formula One British Grand Prix. The Agency published, in time for the 1999 season, a Code of Practice for radio users at the Grand Prix (RA 338). This provides guidance to the F1 teams and programme makers on the use of radio equipment, frequency assignment and licensing procedures. By following the Code, users will greatly reduce interference problems at the event and maximise the availability of spectrum. Table 2 below shows the number of frequency assignments made to holders of Programme Making and Special Events licences in the last two years. These figures are a better indicator of the level of activity in the sector than the numbers of licences issued since each licence contains numerous assignments. Figures for the two years are not directly comparable. Assignments made to broadcasters before January 1998 were made under the previous licensing arrangements and are not compatible with the breakdown shown in the table.

Radio communications are vital to the running of Grand Prix events

Table2: JFMG Licensed Frequency Assignments

Satellite Services

The first phase of the Satellite Earth Station Co-ordination Management (SECOM) software for satellite co-ordination has been operational since October 1997. The second phase is undergoing user acceptance tests and is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2000.

Work within ETSI on drafting voluntary standards for Satellite Interactive Terminals (ETS 300359) and Satellite User Terminals (ETS 300358) has been completed. Work has started on harmonised standards for implementation of the Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (RTTE) Directive in 2000.

Previous

Contents

Next

Top