Ofcom wants more spectrum for mobile broadband

Ofcom has promised to open up extra bandwidth for mobile broadband, without jeopardising other services that use the wireless spectrum.

According to the regulator, demand for mobile data in 2030 could be up to 45 times greater than it is currently, which is leading the organisation to search for additional spectrum.

Ofcom said it’s following the lead of other countries in looking at freeing up the 700MHz band, which is currently in use by digital terrestrial TV services such as Freeview, as well as wireless microphones.

If the consultation shows this to be the best course of action, the organisation hopes to have that part of the spectrum freed up for use by mobile broad by 2022 at the latest.

“Ofcom’s proposals could help mobile network operators meet increasing demand for access to mobile data for 4G on smartphones, tablets and potentially next generation mobile services,” the organisation said.

Ofcom claimed this would mean lower prices and faster speeds for mobile broadband users.

However, it added that freeing up the 700MHz band would not lead to a repeat of the 2012 “digital switchover”, when analogue services were discontinued and people had to retune their TVs in order to receive digital terrestrial signals.

However, it did admit that 0.5% of the population may need to change their roof-top aerials following any change.

Dominic Baliszewski of Broadband Choices said: “It is encouraging to see Ofcom moving to pre-empt future mobile broadband problems by freeing up extra capacity. 4G has already showed signs of slowing down as subscriptions grow and this is a trend that will only continue.”

However, he added some people may be annoyed if they find themselves in the 0.5% who will have to pay £50 for a new TV aerial and installation.