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Spectrum Pricing Consultation Announced |
The Radiocommunications Agency has published a consultation paper on the next stage of spectrum pricing, proposed to take effect from August/September 2003. The sectors in which fee changes may occur are:
Additionally, the Agency proposes to extend the scope of the “safety of human life” discount for registered charities and allow payment of annual licence fees by instalments.
The consultation paper is available on the RA website at:
www.radio.gov.uk/topics/spectrum-price/condoc-march03/index.htm
together with an initial Regulatory Impact Assessment giving details of how the proposals will affect each of the sectors listed above. Comments on the specific proposals in each of the chapters should be sent to spectrumpricing@ra.gsi.gov.uk, by 9th June 2003.
Press Enquiries:
020 7211 0500
Out of Hours: 020 7215 5110/5600
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 0477
Textphone (for people with hearing impairments): 020 7215 6740
RA website: www.radio.gov.uk
Notes for editors
1. Radiocommunications Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry. RA is responsible for managing the civilian radio spectrum in the United Kingdom.
2. The Agency is one of the five regulatory bodies which will form the new communications regulator Ofcom late this year. Ofcom will combine the existing functions of the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the Independent Television Commission, Oftel, the Radio Authority and the Radiocommunications Agency.
3. The proposals on which the Agency is consulting are part of the phased introduction of spectrum pricing that began in 1998.
4. Spectrum pricing is the principle of setting fees for access to spectrum that reflect the value of the spectrum. The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998, which came into force in June 1998, substituted spectrum pricing for cost recovery as the basis for setting radio spectrum licence fees in the UK.
| RA/PN/2003/04 |  |