ComReg has today published its Radio Spectrum Management Strategy Statement for 2019 to 2021 which sets out ComReg’s radio spectrum work plan priorities for this period.
Ireland’s radio spectrum is a highly valuable national resource which supports a wide variety of everyday services and applications used by consumers, businesses and public services. ComReg commissioned Frontier Economics to estimate the economic contribution of radio spectrum in Ireland. This analysis, which is based on company financial records and data from the national accounts, conservatively estimates Gross Value Added of €4 billion and around €6.2 billion contribution to Irish Gross National Income (GNI) – or approximately 3.5% of GNI – while supporting 17,000 jobs.
ComReg Commissioner Jeremy Godfrey said: “ComReg’s Radio Spectrum Management Strategy comprehensively sets out our radio spectrum work plan priorities so as to best utilise this key resource for the benefit of all users, commercial and non commercial alike. Our challenging strategy aims to make available additional 350 MHz of spectrum for wireless broadband delivery, an increase of 46% and placing Ireland at the forefront of spectrum availability across Europe. ComReg’s commitment, during this strategy period, to further develop and finalise its proposals for the release of this spectrum, will go a considerable way toward meeting Ireland’s ever increasing mobile data needs.”
Many other advances are also foreseen, including the release of spectrum that could be used for smart grid applications, the potential deployment of LoRa (a machine-to-machine wireless technology) – which operates in the 900 MHz band, spectrum availability for the backbone delivery of communications in networks, and measures for developing broadcasting, business radio, aeronautical, maritime and scientific uses.
The full Radio Spectrum Management Strategy Statement 2019 to 2021 is available here.
