Communications regulator Ofcom has identified a number of spectrum bands that could be used for 5G mobile broadband.
The new spectrum, which represents seven times the amount released for the 4G auction, could expand mobile data capacity by 25 times that of current capacity between now and 2030, the regulator estimated.
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Ofcom is working with the Ministry of Defence to move spectrum from the 2.3 and 3.4 GHz bands that is used by the public sector into commercial use. This could be released through an auction in 2015-16, it said. It is also investigating the possibility of rearranging the 700MHz band used for digital terrestrial TV, enabling mobile broadband spectrum to potentially be released by 2018.
Over the next six months, the regulator is piloting a "white space" technology test with 20 participating organisations. New applications offering various services such as sensors that monitor the behaviour of cities, "dynamic" information for road users and rural broadband in remote areas are all being tested. The aim is for these new services to fill in any gaps that sit in the frequency band used to broadcast digital TV.
In the longer term, the the government is currently assessing whether it could release up to 100MHz of spectrum from the 2.7GHz radar band for other uses including mobile broadband. Additional spectrum in the 3.6GHz band that is currently used for satellite links is another potential candidate.
Ofcom has identified up to 881MHz of additional downlink spectrum which compares to only 135MHz of downlink spectrum that was made available in the 4G auction.
Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive, said that the demands for mobile data will only increase as millions more wireless devices connect to the internet and each other. The regulator emphasised that there is not an unlimited supply of spectrum available to meet this demand.
"We're looking at ways to use spectrum more efficiently and consider future releases of prime spectrum. By doing so, we can help to meet the significant demands placed on our wireless infrastructure and develop one of the world's leading digital economies," Richards said.
