Spectrum Policy
Governments and regulators can manage spectrum in a fair and transparent way to maximise societal benefits.
Policymakers and telecommunications regulators expand the benefits of mobile connectivity to society by ensuring an efficient spectrum usage. Adhering to international standards and regulatory best practices can create an environment that fosters mobile service innovation, long-term commercial investment and healthy competition.
A successful spectrum policy ensures access to sufficient capacity, provides predictability, and avoids costly restrictions.
Policy positions
Clear and data-driven spectrum policies are necessary to encourage the investment required to meet increased demand for mobile services and enhance the quality and range of use cases. On a larger scale, these policies help promote socio-economic benefits and address the digital divide.
Climate impact
Spectrum policy has the potential to tackle climate change. Efficient use of spectrum leads to a reduction in carbon emissions while simultaneously generating economic benefits to society; it can also increase mobile’s enabling effect and help other industries to reduce their carbon output.
Roadmaps
Spectrum roadmaps are essential to ensure there is enough spectrum to meet surging demand for mobile services in the long- and short-term. Roadmaps give mobile operators the increased certainty they need to invest based on the government’s future allocation, renewal plans and management of radio spectrum.
Pricing
Fair spectrum pricing can maximise access to affordable mobile broadband services, which in turn have a major impact on the digital economy. Correct spectrum pricing encourages participation in competitive auctions and supports a thriving marketplace.
Set-asides
Research shows that spectrum carve-outs for private network use can reduce consumer download speeds by almost 25% whilst delivering no positive uplift for businesses. Dedicated set-asides also risk spectrum fragmentation with a potentially significant economic cost.
