4.1 Post-DSO spectrum allocation

The government’s objectives relating to realising the digital dividend are:

• To facilitate conversion of present commercial television services to digital technology using a technically efficient band plan;
• To plan and allocate the spectrum released for a variety of new services to maximise the benefit to New Zealand; and
• To ensure the spectrum released by DSO is allocated as soon as possible to maximise the benefits of the digital dividend to industry and consumers alike.
• These objectives require at least three logical stages:
• Conversion of analogue services to digital, and/or ceasing any unconverted analogue transmissions;
• Modification of digital television licences to achieve a technically efficient frequency plan; and
• Allocation of released spectrum for new uses according to government decisions prior to DSO.
  

In practice these stages will overlap to some extent and therefore an overall plan, along with appropriate policies, will be necessary at an early date.