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Digital Economy Minister responds to Spectrum Policy Forum letter setting out views and recommendations around representation in international spectrum forums.

Dear David

Thank you for your correspondence of 24 April for the recommendations on the representation of UK interests in international discussions on spectrum. I was pleased to see the UK Spectrum Policy Forum take forward this initiative and I read your conclusions with interest.

I think it is widely agreed that the World Radio communication Conference (WRC) last year was a success from the UK perspective and much of the credit for that is due to Ofcom and the hard work of its staff. The contribution made by UK stakeholders was also a critical element and I would pay tribute to the contribution that Spectrum Policy Forum members made to achieving such a strong outcome. As you say, WRCs are becoming increasingly complex and political. The experience, the expert knowledge and the industry intelligence that stakeholders can provide will become even more important in the future and it is vital that government, Ofcom and industry continue to work together effectively.

I am clear that the development of UK positions on international spectrum issues must take the views of UK business fully into account. It is critical that UK industry is able to contribute to the development of UK policy and I appreciate the valuable technical work takes place in the Working Groups of the International Frequency Planning Group (IFPG). Of course, different sectors sometimes have competing interests and Ofcom ultimately needs to make a judgement about overall UK interests. I hope that industry players will continue to make their voices clearly heard and I am pleased that the IFPG itself will in future be open to all stakeholders to make sure that it can take an overview across all WRC agenda items.

Ofcom faces a challenging task preparing for and representing the UK at WRCs, which requires a demanding combination of technical, diplomatic and advocacy skills. The Government’s diplomatic posts overseas have lent their support on issues such as “Leap Seconds” and will continue to do so, however, sometimes the more complex issues can only be resolved through negotiation by technical experts. There are often difficult judgments to be made: sometimes it is better to state a strong UK position early in the preparatory process, at other times it is better to retain flexibility as the fuller picture develops. In all this, the UK benefits from our outstanding reputation for technical expertise, our strong relationships with key players globally and the contribution made by stakeholders.

Overall I think the representation of UK interests in international spectrum is broadly working well. Given the relative success of WRC-15, I do not anticipate altering international representation arrangements between Ofcom and Government, but DCMS will look again at the documentation to ensure it remains fit for purpose. It remains vital that stakeholders continue to play an active part and the recommendations SPF put forward are a valuable contribution to making sure that we continue to collaborate successfully.

I know that Ofcom have replied separately to your proposals and I welcome their positive responses. I hope that this will be the beginning of a continuing dialogue as we prepare for WRC-19 to make sure that UK interests are represented as effectively as possible.

Ed Vaizey MP
Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy

The full letter from Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy can be download below.

The UK SPF will be following up in the next few weeks and in due course there will be more in the SPF programme of activities regarding the international and UHF work.

Further information regarding the UK Spectrum Policy Forum is available.