The Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025

This Statutory Instrument has been made in consequence of defects in S.I. 2020/1068 and S.I. 2025/967 and is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of those Statutory Instruments.

Statutory Instruments

2025 No. 1149

Electronic Communications

The Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025

Made

30th October 2025

Coming into force

24th November 2025

The Office of Communications (“OFCOM”) make these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 30(1), (3) and 122(7) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006(1) (“the Act”).

Before making these Regulations, OFCOM gave notice of their proposal to do so in accordance with section 122(4)(a) of the Act, published notice of their proposal in accordance with section 122(4)(b) of the Act, and considered the representations made to them before the time specified in the notice in accordance with section 122(4)(c) of the Act.

Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 24th November 2025.

(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Amendment of the Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) Regulations 2011

2.  In the Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) Regulations 2011(2), in regulation 6 (circumstances in which a transfer is not authorised)—

(a) for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) any sum payable in respect of that licence under—

(i) the Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges for the 900 MHz Frequency Band and the 1800 MHz Frequency Band) Regulations 2025(3); or

(ii) the Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges for the 2100 MHz Frequency Band) Regulations 2025(4);

is owing to OFCOM because it has not been paid by the time it became due;”;

(b) omit paragraph (c).

David Willis

Group Director, Spectrum Group

For and by the authority of the Office of Communications

30th October 2025

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Spectrum Trading) Regulations 2011 (“the principal Regulations”) (S.I. 2011/1507, amended by S.I. 2013/646, S.I. 2015/1339, S.I. 2019/951 and 2025/700).

Regulation 6 of the principal Regulations sets out the circumstances in which a transfer of rights and obligations arising by virtue of a wireless telegraphy licence is not authorised.

Regulation 2 amends that regulation to omit paragraph (c), with the effect that, where a licensee has chosen to pay the licence charge for the licence by instalments, the requirement for all instalment payments to be paid to OFCOM before a transfer is authorised is removed.

It also amends paragraph (b) (which provides that a transfer is not authorised where a sum payable in respect of that licence to OFCOM has not been paid by the time it became due) to remove the references to revoked legislation and to include references to the current Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges for the 900 MHz Frequency Band and the 1800 MHz Frequency Band) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/967) and the Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges for the 2100 MHz Frequency Band) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1053).

A full impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs to business and the voluntary sector is available to the public from OFCOM at Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA (Tel: [phone]) or on the OFCOM website at www.ofcom.org.uk. Copies of the report have also been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

(1)

2006 c. 36

(2)

S.I. 2011/1507, amended by S.I. 2019/951; there are other amendments but none are relevant here.

(3)

S.I. 2025/967.

(4)

S.I. 2025/1053.