The Belgian Institute for Postal services and Telecommunications (BIPT) has published an invitation enabling interested parties to apply for frequency licences to operate wireless local access networks in the frequency bands 10,15-10,30 GHz / 10,50-10,65 GHz.
The frequencies are available on a base station by base station basis in this assignment procedure, i.e. operators are free to specify their intended geographical coverage, have to provide a limited amount of information, and if there is sufficient spectrum available, they will be granted the frequencies.
The BIPT invitation contains two detailed tables, to be completed by prospective applicants, covering the location of base stations (municipality and postal code to be specified – exact address can be furnished at a later date), the requested frequency capacity for years 1, 2 and 3, and various technical details. New entrant operators will also have to notify their activity to the BIPT as a provider of an electronic communications network.
Individual operators can apply for a maximum of 56 MHz duplex, and, if they take up this full amount, a maximum of two operators could be granted rights of use within a specific geographic area (with a 28 MHz guard band which can be utilised by operators subject to mutual agreement and approval of the BIPT).
The official deadline for applications is 27 October 2005.
The full text (in English) of the BIPT notice can be accessed by clicking here.
For further details, please contact Yves Blondeel.