Spectrum trades
Ofcom will sometimes receive an application to trade spectrum.
For spectrum falling under the Wireless Telegraphy (Spectrum Trading) Regulations 2012, spectrum which is eligible for trading may be re-licensed to another licensee, subject to meeting certain basic criteria such as being free from any unresolved fee, variation or revocation notices or liability.
Mobile spectrum trades
For spectrum falling under the Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) Regulations 2011, we are required to consider whether competition issues may be relevant and to give our consent before the trade can take place. For eligible licence classes (see Guidance notes), a licensee may apply for a licence variation to permit the leasing of spectrum to other parties.
We will usually publish a description of a proposed mobile trade on this page, so that interested parties can submit any concerns about the impact the trade might have on competition.
Trading information
A register of trades is published under the Spectrum Information Portal in Ofcom’s Spectrum Information System. There is currently one mobile spectrum trade application in progress.
Ofcom has received applications from Vodafone Limited and Telefonica UK Limited for partial trades of frequencies held by these companies in the 900 MHz band.
The proposed partial trades are being considered by Ofcom under the Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) Regulations 2011 (as amended in 2013 and 2015) and in accordance with Ofcom’s usual spectrum trading processes. Under regulation 8, Ofcom’s consent is required before the spectrum in these bands can be traded on a concurrent or outright basis. Ofcom may conduct a competition assessment to determine whether the trades may distort competition. Our initial view is that these trades would not raise competition concerns.
Vodafone and Telefonica UK would like to achieve an exchange of equal amounts of spectrum through the transfer of the rights and obligations arising under their licences, for the following frequencies, in order to de-fragment the band.
| Base station transmit band | Base station receive bands | |
|---|---|---|
|
Telefonica UK Limited trades to Vodafone Limited | 930.1 – 935.1 MHz | 885.1 – 890.1 MHz |
|
Vodafone Limited trades to Telefonica UK Limited | 942.5 – 947.5 MHz | 897.5 – 902.5 MHz |
In order to support the above, both companies will need to carry out site updates and have therefore submitted two separate, sequential, transfer applications to allow for this transition. The first application is for a concurrent partial trade whereby each company would share rights to their respective bands with the other through the concurrent transfer of spectrum rights. The result would be a new licence held jointly by Vodafone Limited and Telefonica UK Limited for the period of technical migration, as illustrated below. The date requested for this transfer is 01 06 2024.
| Base station transmit bands | Base station receive bands | |
|---|---|---|
|
Vodafone Limited & Telefonica UK Limited |
930.1 – 935.1MHz 942.5 – 947.5 MHz |
885.1 – 890.1 MHz 897.5 – 902.5MHz |
Note: It would be a condition of the concurrent licence that at any given time and location, the frequencies being used by each party would correspond to either the current or target band plan, and at all times each party would use no more than 50% of the total licensed spectrum.
A second application has been submitted for the outright partial transfer to take effect following the period of migration. This would transfer the relevant spectrum band from the concurrent licence to the individual company licence. The target date requested for this second transfer is 15 10 2024 and would result in the following spectrum holdings for each company.
| Base station transmit bands | Base station receive bands | |
|---|---|---|
| Telefonica UK Limited | 942.5 – 959.9 MHz | 897.5 – 914.9 MHz |
| Vodafone Limited | 925.1 – 942.5 MHz | 880.1 – 897.5 MHz |
In relation to these proposed partial trades, Ofcom has determined that the requirements (under regulation 7(1) of the 2011 Regulations) which concern the description of the parties and details of the proposed trade have been met. Ofcom is now inviting interested parties to submit comments by 10 05 2024 detailing any competition concerns they might have about the proposed trade, as set out in the Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) Regulations 2011.
The details of the proposed transfers are posted on Ofcom’s Trade Notification Register.
Submissions should be sent to: spectrum.tradingdesk@ofcom.org.uk.