Ofcom Sets Annual Licence Fees for UK Broadband’s 3.4 GHz and 3.6 GHZ spectrum

Ofcom has today set the annual licence fees that will apply to UK Broadband’s spectrum in the 3.4 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands.

UK Broadband, which is owned by Hutchison 3G UK Limited (Three), holds licences for 40 MHz of spectrum in the 3.4 GHz band, and 80 MHz in the 3.6 GHz band.

In December 2018, Ofcom consulted on the annual licence fees UK Broadband should pay for access to this spectrum. After careful consideration of responses, the fees for both 3.4 GHz and 3.6 GHz spectrum will be £0.435 million per MHz, expressed in April 2018 prices.

Ofcom are making the necessary regulations to set these fees. The new fees for 3.4 GHz spectrum will apply from 31 July 2019, while the fees for 3.6 GHz spectrum will be phased in until June 2020, from which time the full amount will apply.