NZ broadband spectrum allocation announced

2.10pm

The Government has announced a spectrum allocation plan for fixed wireless access broadband services.

Fixed wireless access is a method of delivering broadband by radio links, in competition with wire-based services.

Associate Communications Minister David Cunliffe said the allocation would make additional spectrum available to parties wishing to provide wireless broadband services in specific areas, who might not have had the incentives or resources to acquire nationwide rights.

The spectrum would be managed by the Ministry of Economic Development on behalf of the Crown.

It consisted of two blocks in the 3.5 GHz frequency band. These were held back from auction in 2002.

Licences would be available for geographic areas based on territorial local authority boundaries.

- NZPA