Broadband fixed wireless access gives allows users to take
advantage of cheap, fast internet and multimedia access by radio
links rather than down a telephone line.
Ms Hewitt said:
"Following extensive consultation with
interested parties, I intend to award by auction later this year
licences for the provision of broadband fixed wireless access at 28
GHz. There will be three licences available in each of eleven
English licence areas and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Each licence will have forward and return channels of 112 MHz. A
successful bidder will be able to hold just one licence in each
licence area, but will be able to hold a licence in any number of
licence areas. Licences will be for a term of fifteen years.
"I will shortly be publishing draft
Regulations to be made under section 3 of the Wireless Telegraphy
Act 1998 to provide for this auction. The period for comments to be
received concludes on 17 July. I hope to lay the Regulations before
Parliament by the end of July. With the draft Regulations I am also
publishing for comment a draft of the Notice that I intend to issue
under the Regulations. The Notice sets out the detailed
arrangements for the auction and will include the date on which
applications should be made."
Proposals for awarding licences for the provision of broadband
fixed wireless access at 40 GHz will be announced later this
summer. The current intention is to make licences available later
in the year.
