General technology research
Ofcom maintains a focused research programme based around general communications-based technology. Here is our research into this area.
The Object-based media (OBM) report was written by Macroblock Limited (represented by Elfed Howells) and the School of Digital Arts (SODA), Manchester Metropolitan University (represented by David Jackson). The report looks at the technology, consumer, commercial, and compliance/regulatory trends in Object Based Media with a focus on developments in the UK.
The Quantum communications report was produced by a three-person team: Prof Giulio Chiribella and doctoral student Hlér Kristjánsson from the University of Oxford along with their experimental collaborator Robert Gardner, PhD student at Imperial College London.
This study was conducted by LS telcom UK and Siroda for Ofcom and involved using drive tests to measure the attenuation of mobile signals in different frequency bands caused by a representative range of different vehicle types.
This 2015 document outlined the findings of the joint review of the UK Planning Model (UKPM) by Ofcom, Arqiva and the BBC.
In 2014 we set out to better understand the impact of building materials and techniques on the use of wireless devices indoors.
In 2014 we held discussions with communications firms, prominent non-bank financial services firms, and the developers of recent collaborative innovations. These discussions informed our final document on innovation in UK consumer electronic payments.
In 2014 we commissioned a report from Technologia to improve our understanding of second screen applications.
In 2005 we researched a wide range of technologies including software defined radio, smart antennas, cognitive radio and wireless mesh networking.
In 2008 we undertook research to examine particular sectors of society to predict the likely evolution of communications technology.