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Current Usage
Diagram 1 summarises the current spectrum allocations in New Zealand between 800 MHz and 6 GHz. As the diagram and the subsequent text show, there is comparatively little BWA deployment in these bands. This could partly be due to the lack of economical BWA technology and there being profitable or desirable alternative uses for these bands (examined below). It could also be related to the dispersed nature of the New Zealand market and high network infrastructure costs outside metropolitan areas.
Diagram 1: Spectrum Allocations below 6 GHz
Table 1 summarises the uses for which potential "BWA spectrum" has been employed. It will be noted that the bands most readily available for BWA deployment are the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 5.4 GHz ranges. In some cases, in order to deploy BWA, incumbent users would need to be provided with alternative spectrum, to be able to continue the delivery of current services.
Although the frequency range below 6 GHz is currently favoured for BWA because of its better propagation characteristics, some wireless technologies are already using spectrum bands well above this range. This is made possible due to the availability of radio frequency bandwidth and greater economies of scale achieved with technological advancement. For example, some satellite technologies deliver broadband at 12 GHz, 18 GHz and 27 GHz and terrestrial LMDS (Local Multi Point Distribution Services) technology uses the 24 and 27 GHz bands. Commercial equipment used for fixed linking is already being produced for the 60 and 70 GHz bands and it is likely that these bands, as well as spectrum as high as 90 GHz will also be used for BWA in the future.
Table 1: Current Use of Spectrum Bands Suitable for BWA Services
| Band | Predominant use | Technology standard currently in use | Manager (holdings) | Expiry of Rights | Notes |
| 502-806 MHz | Analogue TV | CROWN Māori Television Services (MTS)3 | 2010 | After analogue switch-off, BWA use may become possible subject to other uses such as Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) already established in the band |
|
| 825-960 MHz | Cellular telephony | D-AMPS, CDMA2000 (Telecom) GSM900 (Vodafone) |
Telecom (2x20 MHz) Vodafone (2x21 MHz) |
2012 2012 / 2022 | Currently used for cellular broadband by Telecom. Could be used for cellular broadband by Vodafone in the future. |
| 1710-1785 MHz paired with 1805-1880 MHz 1785-1805 MHz TDD |
Mainly fixed linking Some cellular telephony (Vodafone) |
GSM1800, GPRS, (Vodafone) TDD (CallPlus) |
Econet (2x10 MHz) Telecom (2x25 MHz) TelstraClear (2x25 MHz) Vodafone (2x15 MHz) CallPlus4 (1x20 MHz) |
2021 | Could be used for cellular broadband in the future with the exception of the CallPlus TDD spectrum block. |
| 1920-1980 MHz paired with 2110-2170 MHz | IMT-2000 Cellular | W-CDMA (Vodafone) | Telecom (2x15 MHz) TelstraClear (2x15 MHz) Vodafone (2x15 MHz) CROWN5 (2x15 MHz) |
2021 | Currently used for cellular broadband by Vodafone. |
| 2010-2025 MHz TDD | Not used | None | CallPlus (5 MHz) Vodafone (5 MHz) TelstraClear (5 MHz) |
2021 | Could be used for cellular broadband in the future. |
| 2025-2110 MHz and 2200-2300 MHz ("1098 Plan" Band6) | BWA | TD-CDMA (Woosh) Airspan Wireless DSL (BCL) |
BCL 7 (28 MHz, 34.5 MHz) TelstraClear (28 MHz, 36.5 MHz) Woosh Wireless (2x29 MHz) |
2021 | BCL (Extend) and Woosh are operating "last mile" broadband wireless services. |
| 2300-2396 MHz | Not used | Allocated for MDS. 8 | BCL (1 x 8 MHz) Sky TV (1 x 8 MHz) Telecom (8 x 8 MHz) Woosh Wireless (2 x 8 MHz) |
2010 (will not be renewed) |
Has not been used for MDS Identified as suitable for WiMAX; used for WiBro in Korea. Woosh Wireless recently made an announcement on swapping of MRs with Telecom to have access to contiguous spectrum blocks. |
| 2400-2450 MHz | Wireless LAN | WiFi (802.11, 802.11b, 802.11g) | Managed by the Crown as a "public park" under a General User Radio Licence (GURL 9 ) | N/A | Not identified as suitable for WiMAX. 802.11g equipment can support very high data rates. |
| 2500-2690 MHz | TV outside broadcast | Proprietary in support of broadcasting applications | Managed by the Crown under radio licensing regime - spectrum rights not created | N/A | Licences issued under the Radio Licence Regime (RLR). Identified as suitable for IMT-2000 and WiMAX. |
| 2700-2900 MHz |
RADAR TV outside broadcast links | Proprietary in support of broadcasting applications | Managed by the Crown under radio licensing regime - spectrum rights not created | N/A | Licences issued under RLR. Broadcasting services are operating on a shared basis with RADAR in this band. Potential transition band for 2.5 GHz TV outside broadcast links. Identified as suitable for WiMAX in the future |
| 3410-3487 MHz paired with 3510-3587 MHz | Allocated for broadband applications but largely unused (except for TelstraClear who uses it for telephony) | Proprietary pre-WiMAX standard | BCL (2 x 21 MHz) Compass 10(2 x 7 MHz) Telecom (2 x 7 MHz) Telstra Clear (2 x 21 MHz) Vodafone (2 x 7 MHz) CROWN (2 x 14 MHz)11 |
2022 | Initial rights auctioned in 2002. Suitable for WiMAX Two Crown-retained pairs to be allocated as area licences in 2006. TelstraClear currently uses this spectrum for telephony (not broadband) in a number of centres within New Zealand. BCL plans to use this spectrum to augment its Extend broadband offering. |
| 5150-5350 MHz, and 5470-5825 MHz | Wireless Local Area Networks WLANs) and Wireless Municipal Area Networks (WMAN) | IEEE 802.11a and 802.20 | Managed as a "public park" under a GURL | N/A | Identified as suitable for WiMAX. The quality of service of transmissions operating under a GURL cannot be guaranteed. |
| 5875-5925 MHz | Sparsely used for Radiolocation | N/A | CROWN | N/A | Identified internationally as a Public Protection Disaster Relief (PPDR) band. |
| 10.500-10.680 GHz | Sparsely used for fixed linking | Proprietary | CROWN | N/A | Suitable for FWA, point-to-point backhaul linking. |
| 24.549-25.392 GHz paired with 25.557-26.400 GHz | Sparsely used for fixed linking | Proprietary | TelstraClear (2 x 339 MHz)* Vodafone (2 x 336 MHz) BCL (2 x 168 MHz) |
2022 | *2 fixed links Suitable for LMDS,12 and WiMAX in the future. |
| 26.400-28.350 GHz | Broadband voice and data Satellite links | Proprietary Alcatel LMDS | TelstraClear (1950 MHz) | 2018 | LMDS is used for both voice and data services. Suitable for WiMAX in future. |
| 57-66 GHz | Sparsely used for fixed linking | Proprietary for fixed linking | Managed under the Radio Licensing Regime - individual radio licences | N/A | Being considered for licensing under GURL, hence, may become available for short-range high-speed BWA in the long term. |
| 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, and 92-95 GHz |
Unused | N/A | Managed under the Radio Licensing Regime - individual radio licences | N/A | Being considered for licensing as a Managed Park (discussed later). |
3 MTS hold the Management Right used for Māori Television channel.
4 TDD (Time Division Duplex) unpaired spectrum block.
5 Reserved for Te Huarahi Tika Trust.
6 As per ITU-R Rec F.1098.
7 Broadcast Communications Ltd.
8 Multipoint Distribution Systems, a variety of terrestrial broadcasting that proved uneconomic for New Zealand deployment.
9 General User Radio Licence - a type of licensing giving all persons operating under the Licence equal access to the spectrum on a non-interference, no protection basis (akin to unlicensed or class licensed spectrum elsewhere in the world).
10 Trading as Wired Country Ltd.
11 Area licences are expected to be assigned by 2007.
12 Local Multi Point Distribution Services ibid.
