Mobile broadband 5G services above 6 GHz Multiple services including fixed links, satellite and aeronautical – public sector and private sector. Search for candidate bands is focusing on range 17-100 MHz Beyond 2022 and likely to be later Work is being undertaken by a number of bodies worldwide to identify candidate bands for mobile services at above 6 GHz. This is likely to be an agenda item for WRC19. The requirements for spectrum are likely to be characterised by the need for wider channels (e.g. up to 100 MHz) and larger blocks of contiguous spectrum to support them. It is highly likely that mobile services will share with incumbent services in these bands. Ofcom has consulted on this matter PPDR 700 MHz band UHF TV broadcast Under discussion The draft CEPT band plan for the 700 MHz band provides a national option for dedicated spectrum for PPDR services. Note that the UK currently intends to provide these services in commercially licensed mobile spectrum. Programme Making and Special Events Various bands including UHF For audio and video services Under discussion Ofcom has proposed a move to spectrum at 2.3 GHz and 7 GHz
Specifically, whilst a commercial provider of the service that gains the spectrum will benefit from any increase in profits, this may not be closely aligned with the incremental change in the total value of the service from the change of use if the increase in output results in a significant incremental change in private external value or broader social value that are not fully monetised by the commercial service provider. In principle, this could be remedied through subsidies for the commercial service that ensure these non-financial impacts are taken into account by the commercial service provider. A similar difficulty can arise if the service that gains the spectrum is provided by a public sector body in that the new user’s willingness to pay may not capture all of the incremental value generated by the activities for which the spectrum is to be used. In practice, however, this may be a more acute problem for an intra-public sector change of use, compared to the public to commercial sector case, since the new public sector service provider may be less able to monetise the incremental value of the increase in service output. This may arise for two reasons: services provided by the public sector often have zero or low service revenues; and external value may be particularly significant. These same issues may also arise in the cases of some commercially provided services (e.g. public goods provided under contract). Implications Market mechanisms can play a useful role in the evaluation of intra public sector change of use, especially if the decision is a technocratic one of evaluating cost savings from using additional spectrum and identifying efficient combinations of inputs. In this situation, provided the spectrum-releasing department is enabled to keep the resulting proceeds or cost savings and the department obtaining the spectrum pays the opportunity cost, a market mechanism can lead to an efficient outcome. Where the decision depends on the scale of externalities and broader social value, market mechanisms are less useful and other approaches may be needed. Ultimately, decisions of this nature require ministerial judgment, in the same way as decisions on taxation and public spending priorities are matters for ministers. The techniques discussed in the following section (stated preference, deliberative research and subjective well-being) aim to provide decision support to ministers making those judgments.
Table 31: Relative Merits of Approaches to Assessing Total Value RP SP SWB Deliberative Theory of value Preference satisfaction Preference satisfaction Mental state Flexible (Including rights based and rules based) Measurement approach Choice in actual market. e.g. demand estimation ,hedonic pricing Choice in hypothetical market. e.g. CV survey method Regression of wellbeing survey data with outcomes. Deliberative research elicit informed views e.g. deliberative workshops Most useful for measuring Captures private value to users of service. Does not capture private external value or BSV In principle can measure all aspects of total value In principle can measure all aspects of total value, but application to values usually limited by data Insight into citizens’ views on policy choices esp. initial Identification of potential sources of BSV Key advantages approach rather than survey method that is highly flexible .Applicable to future changes No reliance on hypothetical survey and does not assume rationality Allows respondents to provide considered and well-informed view on complex issues Key problems Limited applicability, esp., to future changes due to lack of existing markets Does not capture or social value Hypothetical, framing, focusing bias Preference instability Limited applicability to future changes Inability to identify impact of policy on SWB Questionable measure of money equivalent of a change in SWB Limited scalability. Subjectivity, ‘leading the witness’