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The Wireless Loop Spectrum Nobody Wants |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Wednesday, 02 August 2006 |
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is
trying to flog off the last of the spectrum in the 3.4GHz range that remains
unlicensed since 2000.
To try to clear the unused bandwidth, and to hopefully
encourage some practical use out of it, the ACMA has reduced the reserve price
of the remaining 15 3.5MHz lots by as much as 75 per cent.
"The spectrum is suitable for the delivery of wireless local
loop services and wireless broadband internet access,' said Giles Tanner,
General Manager of ACMA's Inputs to Industry Division. ‘There is 35MHz of
spectrum available in Brisbane
which provides a significant opportunity for new wireless internet service
providers to enter the market.
"There is also spectrum available in Hobart, Launceston, and
Sydney," said Tanner.
The 3.4 GHz bands are currently being used in Australian and
other countries for wireless local loop (WLL) services to provide an
alternative to wireline telephony and data services. WLL is also called Fixed
Wireless Access (FWA) in some countries. The spectrum is suitable for fixed
point-to-point services and broadband internet-protocol (IP) based
communications.
It's bandwidth nobody seems to want and now have a reduced
time limit as presumably the licensing terms will fall due at the same time as
the 482 lots of 3.4GHz bandwidth that were auctioned off in October 2000.
The spectrum up for grabs now was turned in at that auction,
offered again in 2002, and since 2004 have been offered on a rolling quarterly
auction program. These last 15 remain.
The ACMA says the new prices reflect the shorter terms
remaining on the licences and subsequent changes in market conditions.
The spectrum will be allocated as technology-flexible
spectrum licences that can be used for virtually any type of service permitted
by the technical framework, and depending on the amount of spectrum acquired at
auction. The licences expire 13 December 2015.
Applications for the next allocation round close at 11 am on
13 September 2006.
Under the allocation process, licences may be allocated for
the reserve price if there is only one applicant. An auction is triggered only
if there are two or more applicants for a licence.
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