A next step towards the licensing of 5G-suitable spectrum has been announced by the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA), with the publication of an updated ‘Statement of Intent’ which contains details of spectrum packages that will be available to interested operators. Furthermore, the regulator has also begun consulting on the proposed process of applying for these spectrum packages, via the publication of a consultation on its ‘Draft Invitation to Tender’.

As per the latter document, the JCRA noted that in terms of a proposed licensing timetable, it expects to publish a final invitation to tender in September 2022, while it envisages announcing the winners of the tender and making recommendations for spectrum awards to UK telecoms regulator Ofcom – which manages frequencies in Jersey – in Q1 2023. Pursuant to that, the Authority expects to have completed the ‘required local enabling activities for tender winners’ in H1 2023, with the issuance of spectrum licences by Ofcom taking place in that same timeframe. Submissions to the JCRA’s consultation are being accepted until 23 August 2022.

Of note in its Statement of Intent, meanwhile, the JCRA confirmed it plans to ensure Islanders have access to ‘widescale quality 5G services’ by issuing three ‘Full Service’ spectrum packages; each of these will contain up to 100MHz of contiguous spectrum in the 3.4GHz-3.8GHz band and 2×10MHz of paired spectrum in the 700MHz band. Alongside these allocations, the regulator has set out plans to ‘create opportunities for Islanders or local organisations to receive specific innovative 5G services’ by offering several ‘Limited Service’ packages; these will each contain up to 30MHz in the 3.4GHz-3.8GHz range.