Government unveils plans for mobile spectrum auction

The UK communications infrastructure will undergo modernisation, thanks to intervention from communications minister Ed Vaizey.

Vaizey has announced plans to "revolutionise the country's digital infrastructure", and free up the radio spectrum for mobile broadband providers.

He hopes that, by making his changes, the UK will benefit from a new generation of wireless services and improved coverage.

Vaizey said that, with an emerging interest in new mobile devices among the population, the government had to take action to ensure that its networks are up to the tasks presented to them.

"The past 20 years has seen a revolution in mobile technologies and devices that have transformed the way we communicate, learn and do business," he said.

"We want the UK market to remain at the fore of delivering devices like the iPad and smartphones, but they need the networks to continue to improve and increase services."

Vaizey has directed Ofcom to carry out a combined auction, offering operators 2.6GHz and 800MHz spectrum allocation. This, he added, should be carried out quickly so that operators can start rolling out services as soon as possible.

As well as this, the government has asked Ofcom to carry out an assessment of the 3G and 4G markets. This, Vaizey said, will help new entrants understand the market, and will aid Ofcom in the design of the auction.

"Under our plans, our mobile industry will have access to the 21st century infrastructure it needs to give UK consumers the latest technologies and even better coverage for broadband on their mobile phones," added Vaizey.

Vaizey also touted the idea of making 3G licences indefinite to encourage greater investment, and to make them tradable among interested parties.

He added that Ofcom should only apply annual licence fees that reflect their true market value.