Radio Spectrum

Radio spectrum is a key input into many economic activities, including mobile telephony, wireless broadband, television, defense, and public safety. Usable frequencies are a finite public resource, meaning that governments are required to intervene to manage allocation and pricing. In recent years, encouraged by economic advisors including NERA, regulators have increasingly turned to market mechanisms to promote efficient spectrum use. Reforms such as auctions, trading, liberalization of use, and incentive pricing, have helped to increase downstream competition and accelerate the growth of new wireless services, realizing potentially huge gains for national economies.

NERA provides expert assistance on all spectrum management issues that require economic input. Our areas of expertise include:

• Spectrum allocation, including digital dividend policy, re-farming of mobile spectrum, and unlicensed spectrum;
• Spectrum licensing, including the choice of award format, packaging of frequency lots, license terms and conditions, and consultations;
• Spectrum auction design and implementation, including provision on software for running secure online auctions;
• Spectrum pricing;
• Spectrum trading and liberalization; and
• Valuation of spectrum, both in relation to individual licenses and the broader contribution of spectrum bands, and uses to society.

Our advice is grounded in a thorough understanding of the services that can be deployed using different frequency bands, including:

• Mainstream consumer services, such as wireless broadband, mobile telephony, radio, and television;
• Other commercial uses, such as satellite, data backhaul, private mobile radio, and program making & special events (PMSE); and
• Public uses, such as the military and public safety.

NERA's spectrum experts have worked for a diverse clientele around the world, including: national regulators, international bodies, industry associations, and commercial operators from the mobile, defense, satellite, television, and other industries. We also partner with technology, engineering, and legal advisors to offer solutions for spectrum management issues requiring inter-disciplinary skills.