Today the Commission for Communications Regulation (Comreg) announced its intention to decide on the reservation of a spectrum for the National Broadband Scheme (NBS).
A steering committee, established by the Minister for Communications. Marine and National Resources Noel Dempsey TD, has been given the responsibility of setting up a National Broadband Scheme.
The NBS will be seeking applications from interested parties looking to provide broadband coverage in areas not yet covered in Ireland.
According to ComReg, “it is plausible that suppliers of services under the NBS could make use of wired, terrestrial wireless and satellite delivery platforms in order to reach unserved areas”.
In order to make full use of these technologies that could deliver broadband to the blackspots around the country, ComReg intends to reserve spectrum in the 3.5GHz band to serve this purpose.
ComReg hopes to set aside two channels in the 3.5 GHz band to make possible the use of the two types of technology currently available.
It chose this particular band because “it has become the band of choice for a large number of wireless broadband licensees across Ireland in the last three years”.
The winner of the NBS tender will have to make an application to the Fixed Wireless Access Local Area (FWALA) licensing scheme in order to use these channels.
ComReg said that if the winner does not make use of the channels, their reserved status will lapse.
By Marie Boran
