Access to affordable and adequate broadband services is becoming increasingly important, as the digital component of national economies continues to grow. In this paper, we focus on the question as to how policy and strategy can be developed to enable efficient rollout of broadband services meeting the needs of rural areas, using the UK as[…]
mmWave is one of the new frequency ranges identified for use by 5G. This report by iDate and Plum considers the state of play and the prospects for the use of mmWave spectrum in the EU and identifies issues for demand, coexistence and authorisation of mmWave spectrum identified for 5G. While the report considers a[…]
The 3.5 GHz band is a core spectrum band for 5G deployment globally and many countries have either assigned this spectrum or are making preparations to do so. In the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, the 3.5 GHz band is used by different satellite and fixed services and its availability is less clear.[…]
This paper provides a case study on how the UK is attempting to incentivise full fibre rollout (whereby every premises has a direct fibre connection), and the challenges which these proposals pose. In the past, the UK was the first to introduce the ideas of anchor product pricing and wholesale pricing freedoms. These were subsequently[…]
We provided a diligence review for a private equity firm in support of a funding deal with a UK-based fixed wireless operator. Our work included management dialogue, review of dataroom materials, market assessment, technology architecture and dimensioning, and cost assessment. A report on risk assessment was presented to investors to advise on progressing the deal.
Plum conducted a research study for the Australian regulator ACMA to examine the international practices on the award of high-value spectrum, particularly for mobile use. The research covered a variety of award mechanisms adopted by regulators in other jurisdictions, including auctions, comparative tenders, administrative awards and hybrid formats. The outcomes of the awards were then[…]
Understanding the regulations adopted by national regulators for the authorisation of space services can be a challenging task. Over the years, various authorisation schemes have evolved and been adopted in different countries. However, by its very nature, the space sector requires international cooperation, and the lack of standardisation has resulted in different requirements for the[…]
Millions of devices – ranging from a large satellite to a tiny earphone – use the radio spectrum on a daily basis. Future mobile networks will require the radio spectrum for high-speed broadband services, low latency applications and massive machine type communications. There is also a mass use of Wi-Fi devices and sensors planned for[…]
Commercial 5G services launched in April this year in South Korea and the US, and it is expected that 5G mobile services will have been launched by operators around the world by the end of 2019. A new style of mobile package is emerging; 5G packages seem to be characterised by substantial (or unlimited) data[…]
Plum Consulting provided support to ComReg on their proposed release of the 410-415.5 / 420-425.5 MHz sub band. In particular Plum considered the potential uses of the spectrum including further spectrum for PMR, PPDR, smart metering, IoT networks and smart grids. The study considered spectrum requirements for the different services and availability of other frequencies.[…]