Ofcom UK to Let O2 and Vodafone Use Existing Bands for 5G

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, have today proposed to update certain licences held by mobile operators Vodafone and O2 (VMO2) – including for the 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2.6GHz bands. The move is designed to enable the deployment of newer technologies, such as ultrafast 5G broadband services, into the bands.

The aforementioned bands are currently only allowed to harness up to 4G technology (sometimes also WiMAX), while 5G services typically make use of the 700MHz, 3.4GHz and the 3.6-3.8GHz bands. But re-farming existing spectrum to be used alongside newer services, where appropriate, is a fairly common practice as technologies evolve and can help to improve data speeds, as well as network coverage.

Suffice to say, it was always expected that the older bands would eventually be tweaked to enable support for the latest 5G services. In fact, Ofcom appears to be going a step further by essentially making the bands’ technology neutral, which could aid the future adoption of 6G services too.

What we are proposing – in brief

In response to requests from Vodafone and Telefónica, we are proposing to make changes to some licences they hold. The changes would allow them to deploy new technologies, including 5G, and deliver the next generation of connectivity and services to their users. The changes we propose are as follows:

Updating the technical conditions of licences held by Vodafone in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands:

The proposed variations would amend the licences with updated parameters that reflect the latest technologies. We are also proposing to remove technology restrictions in the licences to make them technology neutral.

Removing a restriction placed on Telefónica’s unpaired spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band:

Telefónica has requested that we remove a restriction on the 5 MHz block within its unpaired spectrum allocation adjacent to Vodafone’s unpaired allocation. Vodafone has contacted us to confirm its agreement with the request. This would allow Telefónica to use an unrestricted 20 MHz of spectrum compared with the 15 MHz currently available. To make this arrangement work, the two licensees need to synchronise transmissions and both of their licences will need to be varied.

Ofcom added that they’re currently also “minded to make similar changes available to the licences of other licensees operating in these bands, upon request“, which is to be expected. None of this means to say that the operators will suddenly switch off 4G services, since those will be the most popular ones for a long time to come, but it does give them more scope to make better use of the existing spectrum as time goes on.

“Overall, we believe that consumers are likely to benefit from the proposed licence variations because these changes will enable licensees to provide innovative mobile services and to make a more efficient use of spectrum. Consumers may also benefit from these services providing faster download speeds and improved coverage,” said Ofcom. The consultation is expected to run until 1st July 2022.