Mar 24 - Gib Operators Will Be Able To Provide 4G By October 2015
Mobile telephone operators which are currently licensed in Gibraltar will be able to provide 4G services by October 2015 at the latest. This follows from a decision published today by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (“GRA”).
In December 2013, the GRA issued a public consultation on proposals to license the provision of 4G mobile communications services in Gibraltar. The focus of the consultation was on the process for licensing 4G services in Gibraltar and, in this context, to set out the GRA‘s plans for the spectrum bands which should be granted access for the provision of 4G services. In this regard, the GRA considered current spectrum assignments, the spectrum available, and how this may best be offered to mobile operators.
The public consultation invited comments from all interested parties on questions relating to the licensing of 4G mobile services and the liberalisation of mobile bands in Gibraltar and by the close of the consultation period, the GRA received responses from the two current mobile operators and three other parties.
After taking all responses into account, the GRA has decided, amongst other things, that all operators which are currently licensed will have to inform the GRA by the 12th May 2014 that they will be rolling out 4G services and accept a minimum criteria, including,
Launch date: 4G operators will be obliged to launch commercial services within eighteen months of licence award;
Coverage at launch: 4G operators will be obliged to provide at least 70% population coverage at launch; and
Population coverage to be achieved: 4G operators will be obliged to provide at least 95% population coverage within three years of service launch.
A third operator may be awarded 4G spectrum within a period of nine months.
Copies of all responses have been published on the GRA’s website together with a Response and Decision Notice to the Public Consultation.
