back to article Ofcom: Ahem, about that 28GHz spectrum. Let's talk fees

Having found that it can charge more than it used to for mobile spectrum, Ofcom is planning the same trick for 28GHz Broadband Fixed Wireless Access. The pricing model radio spectrum charges used to be called AIP (administered incentive pricing), which covered Ofcom’s cost of administering the spectrum. But then Ofcom hit …

  1. Mage Silver badge

    Words nearly fail me.

    Who is running Ofcom?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Words nearly fail me.

      Must be someone from Davey Cameron's old boys network.

      Cameron promised in his 2010 manifesto to abolish Ofcom, but hey ho, he didn't mean what he said. Quel surprise.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Words nearly fail me.

        <being pedantic>Quelle surprise.</being pedantic>

  2. paulej72

    How much?

    How much does Ofcom expect to make on the fees it is charging? The table only gives a price, but is that per mast, is it per month, per year, per 15 year? We need more info here.

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: How much?

      Per restaurant invitation.

    2. Bronek Kozicki
      Trollface

      Re: How much?

      Per device per year

    3. Lusty

      Re: How much?

      I thought it was quite clear. It's per 2 x 1MHz block for that region. Given this is for the whole of the 28GHz band that's a fair chunk of change. Not sure what the licence period is to be fair but it would seem like 15 years as they said based on the existing rates. I'd say we just need a flat rate tax on spectrum with the government falling in line with global standards. It's not like the UK would operate different frequencies than elsewhere any more because nobody would make hardware to suit it.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: How much?

      £40 meelion.

  3. jonathanb Silver badge

    Can someone explain

    If charging higher licence fees encourages greater use of the spectrum, then presumably nobody at all uses 2.6GHz, as there is no charge for that point on the dial.

    1. Chris Fox

      Re: Can someone explain

      And presumably nobody is using any of the HF or VHF bands, given how Ofcom is happy to allow power line network adaptors to transmit hash over all these bands without any form of licence.

  4. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    Shirly...

    ...by definition, the sale value at auction is the "true commercial value" of the spectrum space?

    Or is this one of those "one time only, sealed bid" type auctions where the winner is sometimes someone who doesn't really want it and puts in what they think is a low bid and end up with the winning bid?

    Maybe the auction should be held like a proper auction with the bidders fighting each other :-)

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