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Annual Report & Accounts 1998 - 1999 |
Improving Business Processes
 The RULES newsletter distributed to all Agency staff. |
The
RULES Project The Agency's new licensing system, known as RULES, is one of the most important developments for the Agency's future. RULES creates an integrated suite of IT systems which will support new spectrum pricing methodologies and introduce changes in the way the Agency issues licences and collects revenue. It creates a platform upon which to build in order to provide consistently high standards of customer service. Good progress was maintained throughout the year. |
Adapting to Market Needs
The Agency recognises that radio users have a diverse variety of requirements. It is developing a comprehensive range of products to provide spectrum packages to meet these, from on-site private business systems and wide-area mobile communications in shared spectrum to exclusive national channels for telecommunications or broadcasting.
Where possible, services are exempted from licensing in line with the Government's policy of removing burdens on business. In March 1999, new regulations extended existing exemptions and introduced new exemptions based on common European standards. These included a new generation of short-range private business radio.
The Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (RTTE) Directive, adopted in March 1999 and due to come into effect in April 2000, will radically alter the arrangements for obtaining technical type approval for radio equipment. The Directive gives manufacturers a choice of compliance procedures, including self-declaration to harmonised standards, and allows compliant products to be marketed throughout the EU. This will facilitate innovation and remove barriers to trade. The Agency is working hard to ensure that UK implementation is on time.
Local Processing
As part of the Agency's policy of taking services to customers, local offices now process licence applications for private business radio, coastal station radio, on-site paging (except for one-way non-speech services), local communications, private business radio suppliers and single channel common base stations (CBS) that are not linked to any other CBS. This ensures that customers' radio requirements are assessed by those best able to understand local conditions. Details of the local office structure can be found in information sheet RA206. Customers have expressed appreciation of the benefits of these local services.
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