Statement and further consultation: Supporting increased use of shared spectrum

Statement Published 2 December 2024

Ofcom has today set out improvements to its Shared Access framework – which enables spectrum to be shared in local areas – to support growth and innovation, and give access to more users.

The Shared Access framework, launched in 2019, covers a range of spectrum frequencies, with different power levels and bandwidth available for a wide range of uses. For example, over the past few years the framework has enabled private networks for ports, high-speed broadband in rural communities, and was used to support broadcast coverage of the coronation the King’s Coronation.

Following a review across 2023 and 2024, Ofcom confirmed a number of updates to this framework in July 2024, including a new coordination approach to support more sharing and more opportunities for users.

Today we are confirming additional measures to give users more freedom, open up new opportunities and support a smoother licensing experience by:

• Removing the terminal registration requirement for all Low Power users
• Allowing easier access to Medium Power in most urban areas, with balancing measures (including an updated fee) to safeguard the efficient use of spectrum.

More details on our implementation of these measures are available on our licensing updates page.

We have also made available a spectrum availability map for the 3.8-4.2 GHz band which shows the indicative availability of spectrum in this popular band. It can be accessed here: Online mapping tool for spectrum availability in 3.8-4.2 GHz - Ofcom.