700 Mhz Spectrum Usage

I’d be surprised if Huawei SRAN upgraded sites didn’t support 2300mhz.

The Alphawireless antennas they use support up to 2600mhz so hopefully the 60mhz 2.3ghz will be rapidly deployed to supplement 5G on none NR sites. DSS isn’t much better than 4G.

https://alphawireless.com/ds/AW3871-E-F.pdf

Back before Mr Justice O'Moore again next Tuesday 7th February

Three Ireland's 700 MHz & 2100 MHz MBSA2 licence issued & transition activities

On 26 January 2023, following a request from Three Ireland (Hutchison) Limited (“Three”), ComReg:

• amended Three’s MBSA2 Liberalised Use Licence to commence Three’s rights of use in the 700 MHz Band on 26 January 2023; and,
• amended Three’s Short-Term ECS Licence to foreshorten Three’s rights of use in the 700 MHz band which expired on 25 January 2023.

On 1 February 2023, following a request from Three Ireland (Hutchison) Limited (“Three”) and to allow for an orderly and timely transition, ComReg:

• amended Three’s MBSA2 Liberalised Use Licence to commence rights of use in the 2.1 GHz Band:
  • in Blocks A and B from 31 January 2023,
  • in Block C from 14 February 2023; and
  • in Block D subject to completion of transition activities.
• amended Three’s Short-Term ECS Licence to foreshorten Three’s rights of use in the 2.1 GHz band:
  • in Block B which expired on 30 January 2023;
  • in Blocks J-L which expire on 13 February 2023.

Transition Activities

Three Ireland                    Short-Term ECS Licence                  MBSA2 Licence
2100 MHz MBSA2 Assignment        Expiry                                  Start

A 1920/2110 MHz                  - vacant -                              31 January 2023
B 1925/2115 MHz                  Three Ireland 30 January 2023           31 January 2023
C 1930/2120 MHz                  - vacant -                              14 February 2023
D 1935/2125 MHz                  eir

Vodafone                         Short-Term ECS Licence                  MBSA2 Licence 
2100 MHz MBSA2 Assignment        Expiry                                  Start

E 1940/2130 MHz                  eir
F 1945/2135 MHz                  eir
G 1950/2140 MHz                  Vodafone
H 1955/2145 MHz                  Vodafone

eir/Meteor      	           Short-Term ECS Licence                MBSA2 Licence Start
2100 MHz MBSA2 Assignment          Expiry                                Start

I 1960/2150 MHz                    Vodafone
J 1965/2155 MHz                    Three Ireland 13 February 2023
K 1970/2160 MHz                    Three Ireland 13 February 2023
L 1975/2165 MHz                    Three Ireland 13 February 2023

From the judgement

This is the kind of stuff that goes unchallenged when there's no consumer representation present. The Court doesn't seem to be aware that ComReg's and MNOs interests are aligned in overstating both MNO coverage and investment plans. 

Interesting to see if O'Moore has anything new to offer after all this time.

Having three physical networks in rural areas is still nonsensical. Nonetheless a three-way split by administrative assignment would have almost certainly been accepted by MNOs without the need for an auction. From the judgement it seems even ComReg agreed that there was almost no possibility of a new MNO entrant.

MVP award goes to Marsden of NERA.

...and not forgetting that we consumers will be paying for everything; licences, consultants, lawyers.

My understanding is that O'Moore will still deliver a judgement.

I could well be wrong on the Judgement but there's listings for 15th and 21st February.

2100 MHz transition plan published

https://www.comreg.ie/publication/multi-band-spectrum-award-the-2-1-ghz-band-transition-plan

These proceedings have now been struck out. So after all that court time, stays, appeals of stays etc there's nothing to be learned.

Minister declines to ask ComReg a question about coverage conditions at the 406 specific locations in the MBSA_2.

It does seem odd though that they went to the trouble of tracing the outlines of the buildings only to decide that there need be no coverage inside them.

https://www.comreg.ie/media/2019/12/Specific-Locations-Boundary-Files.zip (shapefiles)

...and Annex 4 in the Information Memorandum looks ambiguous (see page 250 of ComReg 21/40), maybe they clarified it later.

Since 2 April 2023 all MBSA2 spectrum rights have commenced.

• Spectrum rights in the 2.3 GHz and 2.6 GHz bands commenced on 20 January 2023; and
• Spectrum rights in the 700 MHz and 2.1 GHz bands commenced between 26 January 2023 and 2 April 2023.

Multi Band Spectrum Award 2022 (MBSA2) | Commission for Communications Regulation (comreg.ie)

This spectrum has been available to Vodafone since early 2020 at a tiny licence fee prior to April 2nd, is it only available now at your local mast?

ComReg released some documents obtained by them for the court proceedings, now extensively redacted.

It seems expert witness Professor J. Peter Clinch (UCD) was checking the work of expert witness, Doctor Dan Maldoom (DotEcon)

On the key question of whether the 700MHz band was vital to the roll-out of 5g (itself also asserted to be vital), expert Professor Clinch revealed....

Nonetheless both experts brought their expertise to bear on the loss Ireland might suffer, and expertly (and frequently) referred to a big round number,

On a different topic the quarterly summary of purchase orders made by ComReg to suppliers is now more than a year overdue.