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UK Licensing Policy in the 26 GHz (24.5 to 26.5 GHz) Band |
| 1. | The 25 GHz frequency band, 24.5 – 26.5 GHz, is used for licensing fixed point to point links only. The links in the band range from around 5 km to 15 km, in length. This use of the band stems from the WARC 92 decision to re-allocate part of the 22 GHz band to BSS. To date, the 22 GHz band is the most popular fixed links band, with over 8000 licensed links. Following the re-allocation, RA carried out extensive consultation, via MFLC and FLSCG, on the future use of the 25 GHz band. The participants in these discussions included the major users of fixed links as well as a number of new operators seeking to provide specialist services in competition to the established Operators. Thus point to point links in the band are used for a variety of applications including PCN infrastructure, access connections for new telecomms networks as well as existing PTO networks etc. It is very likely that the planned UMTS networks will also utilise the band for their infrastructure needs. |
| 2. | In 1997, RA commissioned a Demand Forecast for Fixed Links Spectrum, via a market survey of fixed links users. This forecast gave data on demand for links in all UK fixed links bands, including the 22 and 25 GHz bands. The Agency’s fixed links assignment software tool was then used to simulate the anticipated loading of the 22 and 25 GHz bands using these demand predictions. The simulations indicated that potentially the demand for 22 and 25 GHz point to point links could eventually exceed the total available spectrum in the 2 bands. |
| 3. | The licensing of fixed links in the band commenced in 1997. Numbers of fixed links in the band have been steadily rising in line with national trends. Figure 1 illustrates the ever increasing demand for fixed links. The graphs, which present data over the periods 1990 to 1997, show, separately, the trends for trunk links ( 7.5, 13 and 14 GHz), intermediate links ( 22 and 25 GHz) and shorter / access links (38 GHz) as well as the overall trend in all RA fixed link bands. The bulk of the increasing demand is in the bands 22, 25 and 38 GHz. In the 25 GHz band, since the commencement of licensing in 1997, 605 links have been licensed by RA to 21 different operators. To illustrate the increasing demand, 100 of these links have been licensed since 1st Jan 2000. The number of operators utilising the band will also rise in line with the numbers in the other bands. |
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| 4. | The demand for links in the 22 and 25 GHz band is significant. These links perform an essential role in forming the backbone infrastructure for the emerging new services as well as existing networks. There is every indication that the increasing demand for fixed links is likely to continue into the foreseeable future. To satisfy this likely future demand, all of the available spectrum in 22 GHz and 25 GHz will be needed. Any restriction on the use of these bands for point to point use will accelerate congestion and limit availability, with consequent impact on deployment for the end user networks. |
| RA2/BPMU 9 March, 2000 |
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