New Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations 2021
The new regulations will come into force on 12 May 2021 and will implement the decisions below.
Wi-Fi & other Radio Local Area Network (RLAN) technologies
An extra 500 MHz of spectrum from 5925 to 6425 MHz will be allocated for Wi-Fi and RLAN devices and the Dynamic
Frequency Selection (DFS) requirements in the 5.8 GHz band (5725 to 5850 MHz) is being removed. Both these measures will make more channels available, increase capacity and reduce congestion in existing Wi-Fi bands caused by increasing numbers of connected devices.
Non-specific Short Range Devices (SRDs) and SRD Data Networks in 870 to 874.4 MHz band
4.4 MHz of continuous spectrum is being made available by aligning the technical parameters and authorisation regime across the 870 to 874.4 MHz band. This will make the band more suitable for applications including smart metering and Machine-to-Machine communications that wish to use wider bandwidth technologies.
Ofcom will align the technical conditions for some SRDs with those set out in the European Commission Decision 2019/1345 (which harmonised the technical parameters for certain categories of SRD applications across several frequency bands). This change supports an international market for equipment, helping to provide more choice and lower costs to end users in the UK.
Higher power wideband data transmission systems (WBDTS) in the 57 to 71 GHz band
From 20 May Ofcom requires new use of these higher power systems to be licensed rather than licence-exempt in order to ensure compliance with the electromagnetic fields (EMF) usage conditions. For equipment already deployed under the existing licence-exemption framework, there will be a transition period until 30 November 2021 to obtain a licence.
