Survey For 450-470 MHZ Band Realignment

The aim of the 450-470 MHz band realignment project is to:

provide accommodation for the growth of new technology in the land mobile radio bands;

address interference from the continent and;

harmonise allocations in accordance with the European Common Allocation Table.

This is a major project and it is intended that re-alignment will start in 2005.

The project will affect a variety of radio users including programme making, on site private mobile radio, wide area private radio, telemetry, public paging and private wide area paging. The businesses which use these types of radio are wide and diverse and this is why the Local Customer Panels are a useful source for feedback into the project as the panel members have been chosen to sit on the Panels for the very fact that they are representative of a broad cross-section of radio users.

To progress the project the Agency require some technical and economic information from users about the re-alignment as well as feedback about how the change will affect their business. In August 2001a pilot survey was sent out to a sample of panel members as well as other radio users that will be affected by re-alignment. 30% of the pilot surveys were returned giving us extremely valuable information to get the surveys just right. A Consultation Document has now been sent to all users who will be affected by the band re-alignment for them to respond by the 24 March 2003. The information fed back will be used to plan the implementation of the Band Alignment exercise.

Further information and updates on the progress of the 450-470 MHz band realignment project can be found at www.radio.gov.uk/topics/spectrum-strat/450-470-realign/question/question.htm on the RA website.