Removal of the Link Between the Radio Quality Assurance Scheme and Access to PBR Short Term Hire Spectrum

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Small Firms, Trade and Industry, Michael Wills MP, announced in July last year, that the link between accreditation in the Radio Quality Assurance Scheme (RQAS) and access to certain PBR Short Term Hire frequencies, will end on 1 January 2001.

The decision followed a consultation exercise held by the Radiocommunications Agency with PBR Suppliers licensees in December 1998. This sought the views of licensees on the findings of an initial review, which indicated that there was no longer any direct benefit arising from the RQAS link with PBR Short Term Hire and that the PBR Short Term Hire Industry was now operating within the boundaries of licence conditions, with very few instances of misuse.

In order to address some of the concerns of licensees about the future conduct of the PBR Short Term Hire industry. The Radiocommunications Agency undertook a further consultation with PBR Suppliers licensees on the possible creation of two replacement licence products to meet the needs of industry following the removal of the link between the RQAS and PBR Short Term Hire.

Product A would contain a wider range of frequencies than that currently enjoyed by PBR Suppliers licensees not accredited to the RQAS, and would be intended for general use. [Flat Rate fee £200]

Product B would be formed from some of the new total number of frequencies available (using the least number of channels necessary to permit the use of efficient technology). This would enable spectrum to be dedicated to the application and development of technically efficient technologies within the PBR Short Term Hire environment. Product B would be intended for use by organisations able to offer spectrum efficient solutions for events where radio use is required on a large scale, e.g. British Formula One Grand Prix, Wimbledon Tennis Championship.

The proposals moved away from allowing access to spectrum based upon whether or not organisations have obtained the required quality accreditation to allowing organisations to have access to spectrum according to their business needs. [Flat Rate fee £2,000]

Licensees were invited to state whether they:

• believe that the PBR Short Term Hire regime (following the removal of the link between the RQAS and PBR Short term Hire) would be assisted with the introduction of the two new licence products;
• agreed with the characteristics of the two new licence products proposed; and might wish to take advantage of Product B and if so the technology or technologies they would wish to employ and the number of frequencies they believe would be necessary to support the proposed technology.

The Agency received fifteen replies from a range of differing sized organisations engaged in the short-term hire of equipment. Ten of these organisations indicated clear support for the approach suggested by the Agency in the second stage of consultation. The replies focussed almost entirely on the opportunities that may arise through the application of trunking in spectrum allocated for short-term hire. However, the market demand for trunking was believed to be constrained through a number of factors:

• the heavy investment costs involved in the provision of new capital equipment
• the demand would be limited to a few large scale events
• the technology would require a greater level of skill in its provision and support
• the proposed cost for "product B"

In addition respondents favoured:

• the connection of STH trunked radio systems to telephone networks
• the introduction of trunking prior to January 2001

Spectrum Available for Short Term Hire use

Short Term Hire has access to a total of 35 frequencies, 2 in VHF Low Band, 22 in VHF Mid Band (6 of these for use on construction projects only), 4 in VHF High Band, and 7 in the UHF2 Band. Under the new arrangements to be introduced in 2001 all of these frequencies will be available for use by PBR Suppliers licensees. Annex A summarises how these frequencies are currently configured under current Short-Term Hire arrangements:

Revised option

The Agency has considered the responses and proposes to make an additional 6 duplex channels available for Short Term Hire trunked radio use. This option will enable any licensees who wish at some stage to offer a trunked service to do so. The new channels will be allocated from the UHF2 Band (450-470 MHz) and use will only be permitted on trunked radio systems. Users of UHF2 should note that it is planned that the UK's use of the band will be aligned with European use of 450-470 MHz (ie base transmit at 460-470 and base receive at 450 -460 MHz starting in 2005. Prospective purchasers of new equipment are advised to ensure that radios can be re-tuned at a later date to a band-reversed configuration.

Annex A

Short Term Hire Spectrum Allocation

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