Edmonds said:
“An important component of increased network competition is ready access to radio spectrum. Freeing up access to radio spectrum has the potential to allow both greater usage of existing infrastructure and expansion and development of other networks and delivery systems.”
Edmonds called for organisations owning surplus spectrum to offer it to the highest bidder. He outlined his view that utilising such spectrum will be imperative to enable multimedia convergence by broadcasters, carriers and service providers. His comments come at a time when the new regulatory body Ofcom, to be launched by the end of 2003, is in focus in terms of establishing its precise regulatory powers.
Ofcom will incorporate the roles of Oftel, the Broadcasting Standards Commmission, the Independent Television Commission, the Radio Authority and the Radio Communications Agency. Edmonds said that the independence of Ofcom should be paramount and that it should provide a regulatory framework for businesses that is both clear and predictable in order to act in the consumers interest and handle issues of multimedia convergence.