New report: Valuing the impact of radio spectrum use on the UK economy

The Valuing the impact of radio spectrum use on the UK economy report prepared by Plum Consulting on behalf of the UK Spectrum Policy Forum (SPF) summarises the contributions and conclusions from the Cluster 3 workshops held throughout 2018.

The report highlights that it is now approaching five years since the Spectrum Strategy[1] was published and recommends that Government provide an update to the strategy assessing if it is on target to double the annual contribution of spectrum use to the UK by 2025.

The scope of a further study may require adapting in the light of developments with spectrum using services and approaches to assessment of value delivered by spectrum.

Based on this assessment, Government should affirm progress, reconsider targets and / or make other adjustments as required.

These recommendations are the output of 2018 UK SPF Cluster 3 workshops conducted to support the case for the updating of the report published by DCMS in 2012 on the impact of radio spectrum on the UK economy[2]. The 2012 report concluded that in the period from 2006 to 2011, the value of spectrum to the UK had increased significantly from £35 billion to £52 billion per annum.[3]

Tony Lavender, Chair of the UK SPF Steering Board and author of the report at Plum Consulting, comments:

“Spectrum use already contributes billions to the UK economy. However, Government want to double its financial contribution by 2025 during a time that the spectrum use landscape is and will continue to transform. Therefore, industry feel Government should provide an update to their UK Spectrum Strategy. This update should develop a more holistic review of the impact of spectrum on the UK economy which they can act on if need be and industry can learn from.”

You can view the report here.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

Media Contacts

Harri Turnbull – [email protected]  0207 331 2011

About UK SPF

Launched at the request of Government, the UK Spectrum Policy Forum is the pro-active industry-led ‘sounding board’ o UK Government and Ofcom on future policy and approaches on spectrum and a cross-industry ‘agent’ for promoting the role of spectrum in society and the maximisation of its economic and social value to the UK.

The Forum is open to the full range of UK spectrum users. Our members currently include over 240 companies and organisations with an interest in using spectrum for a diverse range of applications. In this context the term 'spectrum users' is to be interpreted in the widest sense - including all industry sectors which use (or will use) wireless techniques and organisations involved in the entire value chain in these activities.

Further details on UK SPF can be found at

www.techUK.org/spectrum