Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 and shall come into force on 8th June 2015.

Amendment of the Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges) Regulations 2011

2.  The Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges) Regulations 2011(2) ("the principal Regulations") shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of these Regulations.

Amendment of Regulation 2

3.-(1) In regulation 2 of the principal Regulations-

(a)in the definition of "high usage bands", for "any of UHF Band I, UHF Band II" substitute "either of UHF Band I and II";

(b)for the definition of "UHF Band I" substitute the following definition-

""UHF Band I and II" means that part of the electromagnetic spectrum between 410 MHz and 470 MHz"; and

(c)omit the definition of "UHF Band II".

Amendment of Schedule 2

4.-(1) Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs of this regulation.

(2) Under the heading "Aeronautical"-

(a)in relation to the licence class "Aeronautical Station (Aeronautical Broadcast)" –

(i)for "exceeds £1000, the sum payable is £1000" substitute "exceeds £2000, the sum payable is £2000"; and

(ii)for "exceeds £3000, the sum payable is £3000" substitute "exceeds £6000, the sum payable is £6000";

(b)in relation to the licence class "Aeronautical Station (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System)" –

(i)for "exceeds £1000, the sum payable is £1000" substitute "exceeds £2000, the sum payable is £2000"; and

(ii)for "exceeds £3000, the sum payable is £3000" substitute "exceeds £6000, the sum payable is £6000";

(c)in relation to the licence class "Aeronautical Station (Air/Ground, Aerodrome Flight Information Service and Tower)" –

(i)for "exceeds £400, the sum payable is £400" substitute "exceeds £600, the sum payable is £600"; and

(ii)for "exceeds £1200, the sum payable is £1200" substitute "exceeds £1900, the sum payable is £1900";

(d)in relation to the licence class "Aeronautical Station (Approach)" –

(i)for "exceeds £1000, the sum payable is £1000" substitute "exceeds £2000, the sum payable is £2000"; and

(ii)for "exceeds £3000, the sum payable is £3000" substitute "exceeds £6000, the sum payable is £6000";

(e)in relation to the licence class "Aeronautical Station (Area Control)" –

(i)for "exceeds £1000, the sum payable is £1000" substitute "exceeds £2000, the sum payable is £2000"; and

(ii)for "exceeds £3000, the sum payable is £3000" substitute "exceeds £6000, the sum payable is £6000";

(f)in relation to the licence class "Aeronautical Station (Very High Frequency Data Link)" –

(i)for "exceeds £3000, the sum payable is £3000" substitute "exceeds £6000, the sum payable is £6000"; and

(ii)for "exceeds £6000, the sum payable is £6000" substitute "exceeds £12000, the sum payable is £12000".

(3) Under the heading "Fixed Links" in relation to the licence class "Point to Point Fixed Links (71.125 – 73.125GHz and 81.125 – 83.125GHz)" -

(a)in relation to the variable sum specified in paragraph (a), for "£100 for each channel with a bandwidth of less than 250 MHz.", substitute "£100 for each two-way channel pair with a bandwidth of less than 250 MHz."; and

(b)in relation to the variable sum specified in paragraph (b), for "£225 for each 250 MHz of bandwidth within a channel, where the channel has a bandwidth of 250MHz or more.", substitute "£225 for each 250 MHz of bandwidth within a two-way channel pair, where the two-way channel pair has a bandwidth of 250MHz or more."

(4) Under the heading "Public Wireless Networks" -

(a)in relation to the licence class "Public Wireless Networks (Guernsey)" for "£320 for each 2 x 200 kHz channel or slot. £4000 for each 1 x 5 MHz channel or slot. £8000 for each 2 x 5 MHz channel or slot" substitute "£80 for each 100 kHz channel or slot".

(b)in relation to the licence class "Public Wireless Networks (Jersey)" for "£320 for each 2 x 200 kHz channel or slot. £4000 for each 1 x 5 MHz channel or slot. £8000 for each 2 x 5 MHz channel or slot" substitute "£80 for each 100 kHz channel or slot".

(c)in relation to the licence class "Public Wireless Networks (Isle of Man)" for "£320 for each 2 x 200 kHz channel or slot. £4000 for each 1 x 5 MHz channel or slot. £8000 for each 2 x 5 MHz channel or slot" substitute "£80 for each 100 kHz channel or slot".

(5) Under the heading "Science and Technology" after the entry for "Ground Probing Radar" add the following entry -

Amendment of Schedule 3

5.-(1) In Part 2 of Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations, in Column 1, for "7.42 ≤ fb < 7.90" substitute "7.42 ≤ fb < 8.50".

(2) In Part 4 of Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations, in Column 1 of Table 2, for "7.42 ≤ fb < 7.90" substitute "7.42 ≤ fb < 8.50".

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1128 as amended by S.I. 2012/1075, S.I. 2013/917 and S.I. 2014/1295 ).

These Regulations increase the charges which may be payable for licences in the Aeronautical sector, add new fees for licences for High Duty Cycle Network Relay Points and change the radio frequencies in which the fee rates for Point to Point Fixed Links in the 7.42 – 7.9 GHz band are applied.

The Regulations change the description of the fees for the Public Wireless Network licence in each of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

A full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that these Regulations will have on the costs to business is available to the public from the Office of Communication's ("OFCOM") Library at Riverside House, 2A Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 9HA (Tel: 020 7981 3000) and on OFCOM's website at www.ofcom.org.uk. Copies of this assessment have also been placed in the library of the House of Commons.