Ireland’s 700MHz wireless spectrum band has a current market value of €91m and could be repurposed to be used by mobile operators to provide high-speed broadband services and enable the research and development of future internet of things (IoT) services.
This would treble the amount of radio spectrum currently available to mobile operators.
The spectrum could be repurposed by mobile operators and broadband providers to provide high-speed broadband in rural areas, as well as future IoT wireless devices.
Ireland’s telecoms watchdog ComReg today (14 December) issued a consultation on its strategy to manage the radio spectrum for Ireland, which included notes on the potential repurposing of 700MHz band in line with proposals by the World Radio Conference.
A plan to migrate broadcasting services such as digital terrestrial TV (DTT) services from the 700MHz signal will be completed in the second quarter of 2016.
In June, ComReg did a cost benefit analysis and found that if Ireland repurposed the 700MHz spectrum from its current use by terrestrial broadcasters and wireless microphones it could be worth €91m in the form of spending by mobile network operators on new equipment and other benefits in the wider economy.
