BEIRG posts response to Ofcom consultation

BEIRG (British Entertainment Industry Radio Group) has officially responded to Ofcom’s consultation “Securing long term benefits from scarce spectrum resources – A strategy for UHF bands IV and V”.

Ofcom’s consultation closes at 5pm today (June 7th) and is focused primarily on clearing the 700MHz band for the use of mobile broadband, therefore presenting a threat to the ability of PMSE (Programme Making and Special Events) users to access sufficient interference-free spectrum.

BEIRG’s response to the consultation included the following statement:

“Release of 700MHz as early as 2018 should not be considered as an option. Not only is its release not necessary, but any change to spectrum allocation with such short notice would cause a major upheaval in the PMSE and wider broadcast industries. It is a
decision that should not be made rashly or with undue haste. A change will require members of the PMSE sector that currently operate in this band to replace their equipment, which will be rendered obsolete by the clearance, and to do so with insufficient lead-in time. Many of these members have already been forced to repurchase equipment as a result of the channel 69 clearances, and to expect the
industry to do so again so soon is unworkable, and would be financially unviable for many."

Both the full report and a template letter to register your support for BEIRG’s response is can be found at the group’s website: www.beirg.co.uk.

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