TRA issues new fees for frequency spectrum use

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has issued new regulation for fees for use of frequency spectrum and wireless equipment in the UAE. The new regulation will be effective from January 1, 2017, as reported by Zawya.

The new regulation encompasses fees for radio services used in land, maritime, terrestrial and satellite, including mobile service, broadcasting, satellite, and services related to emergencies and disaster relief.

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, acting director-general of TRA, said in a statement that “radio-communication is considered one of the pillars through which vital services are provided to the institutions as well as the individuals. The radio-communication depends on the frequency spectrum, which is limited in nature”.

He added: “The TRA has updated the Spectrum Fees regulation, which is considered one of the most important regulating tools of radio-communication sector at the global level, with the aim of achieving maximum utilisation of the frequency spectrum. The regulation has been updated using global standards and benchmarks, after conducting thorough market study and service analysis in the radio-communication sector in the country.”

The new regulation will support the provision of new technologies, Al Mesmar said, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities, space services and ICT sector projects. It will also support the re-use of frequencies to provide new services and modern technologies, which would “encourage innovation, creativity and investment in the ICT sector in the country, in line with the national strategic plans”. The UAE has been ranked first in the world for mobile phone penetration, not least because of the availability of the required frequency spectrum, he added. “We are confident that these measures will have a significant impact that enhances the customers’ confidence in the services provided by TRA,” Al Mesmar stated.