1. Market Based Methods of Spectrum Allocation in SATRC Countries
Chairman of Working Group
Market Based Methods of Spectrum Allocation in SATRC Countries
2nd Meeting of SATRC Working Group on Spectrum in SAP-IV, March 2014, Tehran, Iran

2. Table of Contents Introduction of WI’ report
Requirement for adopting Market based Mechanism
Moving towards Market based approach
non-market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
views of Ofcom

3. Contents of the WI’ report
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER-I
ASSIGNMENT OF SPECTRUM
CHAPTER-II
MARKET BASED SPECTRUM MECHANISM: OTHER DIMENSIONS
CHAPTER-III
SATRC COUNTRIES PERSPECTIVE
CHAPTER-IV

4. INTRODUCTION General Requirement for adopting Market based Mechanism
Moving towards Market based approach

5. Requirement for adopting Market based Mechanism ( 1)
When the demand for the spectrum in any band is less than its availability, definitely, assignment of spectrum needs to be done over the counter on an administratively determined price.
But, when the demand for a spectrum in band outstrips its availability considerably, the market based approach is best suited for ensuring the optimal use of the spectrum.

6. Requirement for adopting Market based Mechanism (2)
The emergence of new services, particularly mobile wireless broadband,
Demand for internationally harmonised spectrum

7. Requirement for adopting Market based Mechanism
There is trend towards converging markets for integrated services through different communication technologies.
Networks and services convergence and the rapid innovation have created a need for more flexible access to spectrum, than is possible under traditional methods.
All these developments point to the need for greater flexibility in the management of spectrum resources, while maintaining harmonisation.

8. Requirement for adopting Market based Mechanism
The trend towards greater flexibility and more competition in spectrum use is facilitated through a market-based approach to individual rights of use.
The market based methods puts resources in the hands of those who value them the most.

9. Moving towards Market based approach
There has been a gradual shift from administrative approach towards the market based approach of spectrum management.
There are some countries which allowed the auctioning of licences but did not permit trading and change of use.

10. Moving towards Market based approach
On the other hand, there are some markets for spectrum and spectrum licences under which both the ownership and use of spectrum can change in the course of a licensee's operation.
Methods of Assignment of frequency, removal of restrictions on the usage of spectrum rights, allowing the change in the ownership through spectrum trading are important tools that have been instrumental for this shift of approach

11. non-market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
the allocation stage and the assignment stage
first-come, first-served basis
beauty contests

12. Non-market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Traditionally, non-market-based assignment approaches (administrative methods) were adopted by a number of countries for the assignment of spectrum.
Minimizing harmful interference is the focal point in the traditional model which places an emphasis on the technical management of radio spectrum.

13. administrative method
In the administrative method, there are two stages involved in authorizing spectrum use viz.
administrative method
allocation stage
spectrum use
assignment stage

14. At the allocation stage, broad decisions on spectrum use are made on ITU world radio communication conferences.
National spectrum regulators prepare their own allocation decisions, which are published in form of a National Frequency Allocation Table.
ALLOCATION STAGE

15. ASSIGNMENT STAGE
Once an allocation has been determined, licences are issued to authorize the use of spectrum to particular users at the assignment stage with the issuance of a license(s) which is assigned.

16. ADMINISTRATIVE METHOD FOR THE ASSIGNMENT THE SPECTRUM
Historically, assignments were made by methods such as first-come, first-served basis or
by way of comparative evaluation (also known as ‘beauty contests’) and/or consultation rather than by market based methods.

17. FIRST-COME, FIRST SERVED
In the first-come, first served (FCFS) method, eligibility criteria is set.
Subsequently, blocks of spectrum are assigned to eligible seekers on first-come first served basis.
Where spectrum is not scarce and there is enough to meet the demand from all those who want it, FCFS may be suitable method for the assignment of spectrum.

18. BEAUTY CONTESTS
“Beauty contests” is another commonly used administrative method for the assignment the spectrum.
It requires those, who are interested in a particular tranche of spectrum, making proposals for how they intend to use it.
Beauty contests were used to award majority of initial GSM licenses in Europe and around half of the 3rd Generation (3G) mobile licenses.

19. BEAUTY CONTESTS
The regulator evaluates the proposals according to certain criteria, which may include proposed coverage commitments, speed of rollout, end-user prices, quality and range of services offered, etc.
The spectrum management authority determines who the best qualified applicant to use the spectrum is and awards the licence.
Beauty contests were used to award majority of initial GSM licenses in Europe and around half of the 3rd Generation (3G) mobile licenses.

20. BEAUTY CONTESTS
The main problem with beauty contests is that, it is difficult to keep the selection procedure objective because they involve evaluation across a range of criteria which essentially have a subjective element.
They are often subject to successful legal challenge and may delay the development of a truly competitive market, to the detriment of consumers’ interest.
Beauty contests are also necessarily slow, since all the criteria must be evaluated in a way which will stand up to legal consideration.
Beauty contests were used to award majority of initial GSM licenses in Europe and around half of the 3rd Generation (3G) mobile licenses.

21. Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Tradable spectrum
Auctions
License-exempt spectrum
Administrative incentive pricing
Ofcom views

22. Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Auctions
Tradable spectrum rights
License-exempt spectrum
Administrative incentive pricing
Ref.

23. Advantages and disadvantages of auctions
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Auctions
Types of auctions
Advantages and disadvantages of auctions
Ref. :

24. Types of auctions the English auction
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Types of auctions
the English auction
the first-price sealed bid auction
the second-price sealed bid auction
the Dutch auction
the simultaneous multiple round auction
Auctions may take various forms, including:· the English auction,
where the auctioneer increases the price until a single bidder is left;
· the first-price sealed bid auction,
where bidders submit sealed bids and the highest wins;
· the second-price sealed bid auction,
where bidders submit sealed bids and the highest bidder wins but pays the second highest amount bid

25. Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Advantages
efficient mechanism of assigning commercial spectrum licenses for which there is a high demand.
to decrease the administrative costs and time associated with the spectrum assignment process
licenses are competitively assigned to users who value these licenses the most
lucrative source of income for government

26. Disadvantages Unpredictable
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Disadvantages
Unpredictable
delay in the rollout of infrastructure and services
requires a tailored approach, adapted to the particular circumstances of a country

27. Tradable spectrum rights
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Tradable spectrum rights
change of ownership
change of ownership and reconfiguration
change of ownership, reconfiguration and change of use
change of ownership and change of use

28. Spectrum trading variants also include:
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Spectrum trading variants also include:
Spectrum leasing
spectrum sharing

29. License-exempt spectrum
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
License-exempt spectrum
Spectrum commons
Open access spectrum

30. Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Open access spectrum
License-exempt spectrum use is usually permitted in two forms
low power transmissions
spectrum use in bands allocated for license-exempt use (ISM)

31. Administrative incentive pricing
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Administrative incentive pricing
Administrative Incentive Pricing (AIP) is a fee charged to users of the spectrum to encourage them to make economically efficient use of the spectrum.
Licenses are issued through an administrative process, usually on a first come first served basis, and carry with them an obligation to make a regular payments to the regulator or government agency.
The idea is that AIP will give the owner of the license an incentive to return unused spectrum rather than pay the fee.
It may also help a licensee to use the spectrum more efficiently.

32. Administrative incentive pricing
Market-based strategies for spectrum allocation and assignment
Administrative incentive pricing
The fee is usually based on the opportunity costs of the use of spectrum. Opportunity costs can be based on three different principles:
The value of the spectrum for a user with another service.
The additional costs if the service had to make use of other means.
The additional costs if the licensee had to make use of less spectrum.

33. Ofcom views
Combining market mechanisms and regulatory action to deliver optimal spectrum use
Spectrum management strategy -Ofcom’s approach to and priorities for spectrum management over the next ten years- 2 October 2013

34. In order to deliver optimal spectrum use, ofcom relies on market mechanisms where possible and effective, but also take regulatory action where necessary.
Once the conditions required for the use of market mechanisms are in place, they are generally considered the most effective method of allocating scarce resources to ensure they are used efficiently.
Spectrum management strategy -Ofcom’s approach to and priorities for spectrum management over the next ten years- 2 October 2013

35. 84% of spectrum is tradable
4G auction at 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz
auctions as a means to assign new spectrum access rights for large blocks of spectrum
spectrum pricing to create incentives for users to make efficient use of spectrum
84% of spectrum is tradable
spectrum trading and leasing as the means for spectrum access rights that are already assigned to change hands
21% of spectrum
greater license flexibility (‘liberalization’) as a principle to enable change of use
2005 Spectrum Framework
2005 Spectrum Framework Review

37. there can be an important and complementary role for regulators to play in addressing situations where market mechanisms alone are unlikely to deliver the greatest value to society from spectrum use.
Spectrum management strategy -Ofcom’s approach to and priorities for spectrum management over the next ten years- 2 October 2013

38. situations where market mechanisms alone are unlikely to deliver the greatest value to society from spectrum use often arise when major changes in spectrum use are contemplated. This is because, typically, major changes of use involve one or more of the factors in the next slide
Spectrum management strategy -Ofcom’s approach to and priorities for spectrum management over the next ten years- 2 October 2013

39. Changes to international agreements
Clearance and mitigation of co-existence challenges
Implications for competition in relevant markets
Spectrum management strategy -Ofcom’s approach to and priorities for spectrum management over the next ten years- 2 October 2013

40. Conclusion
There are a large number of policy options for a country to select from when migrating to a more technology-focused, market-based approach to spectrum management.
Approaches such as auctions, administrative incentive pricing, spectrum trading, and dedicating more frequencies for license-exempt use represent different levels of spectrum liberalization countries can choose from.
The experience of the pioneering regulators such as Ofcom appears to suggest that the gradual introduction of a mix of technology focused and market based approaches across different spectrum bands would be the best overall approach

41. Thank you for your attention
Any questions
Dr. Mina Dashti
Chairman of WG on Spectrum