Working with Ofcom
The management of the radio spectrum remains a key activity for Ofcom. This includes the management of the spectrum used by all Business Radio operational services.
These services are recognised as essential services that the UK needs to have in place.
The FCS and Ofcom have been working together for many years to ensure that these operational services continue to provide safety and security and other benefits the UK has become accustomed to.
The membership of the FCS represents the overwhelming majority of the business economic volume in the Business Radio Sector. As a result, the FCS is the voice of the industry. Our members serve many sectors of operational activity. Uses of Business Radio. Most of these sectors have at least some operations that need to work smoothly and are therefore supported by Business Radio.
The FCS Radio Spectrum policy in the BR sector is that radio spectrum remains allocated in accordance with international treaty. Users obtain their licences by application to Ofcom for an assignment.
Competition within the Business Radio sector is guaranteed by virtue of the fact that the sector has hundreds of economic operators. The FCS believes this to be generally effective. However, market-based spectrum assignment policies are viewed by the FCS as being inappropriate as there is no real control over who wins the licence. The emergency services, for example, might not get the radio spectrum they need if it were to be offered by auction.
Similarly, the cost of developing the very resilient systems into a market where the operating frequency is not known, well in advance, would result in products being made for countries other than the UK. Continuing the example, the emergency services might have to make do with a system that does not offer the same operational resilience.