I forget but somewhere I remember about a statewide digital system... the counties were given a discount or something of that effect for giving up their old frequencies to be used on the state-wide system... is this correct? or did I misunderstand it?
I'd be fascinated to know how you do this in Australia. I can tell you that in the US, there has been a shift toward radio spectrum being similar to real estate. It has material value to those who need the spectrum. We can lease frequencies here, and often do. Our FCC has a category to display leases. A business licensee may lease to a public safety entity, but a public safety entity cannot lease.
Public safety applicants who seek licenses in our "NPSPAC" (National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee) spectrum which lies in 700 MHz and part of 800 MHz often have to agree to "give back" their lower-frequency licenses in order to get the NPSPAC channels. The Regional Planning Committees ("RPCs") have no authority to compel the applicants to cancel those licenses, however. It's the honor system (as if...). This
does not apply to 800 MHz general pool or "vacated spectrum" (frequencies vacated by Sprint/NEXTEL) channels. Applicants have no "give back" requirements there. This also does not apply to lower frequencies. These entities can only give up their frequencies, they cannot "sell" them.
We are undergoing a mandatory halving of occupied bandwidth here to allow for operation on interstitial channels in VHF and UHF spectrum. More recently, we've seen this give back bargain made in waiver requests to the FCC which seeks a delay in narrowbanding because of the implementation of a higher-frequency radio system, and the promise (the "public interest" part) that in exchange for the delay, the applicant will terminate operations on most of those frequencies once the new system is enacted. We see that in the series of granted waivers in the 8 counties (actually 7 counties and the independent City of St. Louis, which under Missouri law is not in a county) of the St. Louis region.
So, tell me about how you do this Down Under.
