Table 6.1: Advantages and Disadvantages of different redeployment (re 

farming) options

Method 

Advantages 

Disadvantages 

Migration by 

No requirement for 

Problem as existing licences are 

expiry of 

regulatory intervention 

awarded for 20 years.  

current licence 

and end of 

lifetime of 

equipment 

Forced 

Enables existing 

It may not be possible to migrate 

migration to 

equipment to remain in  all the services to spare 

frequency 

use, minimising cost spectrum within the tuning range.  

bands within 

and disruption to 

Spectrum within the tuning range 

tuning range of 

existing user.  This has  may not be the ideal long term 

equipment used  been a feasible solution  choice as it may subsequently be 

for military services due  required to support ongoing 

to the wide tuning growth in demand for new 

ranges. 

services. 

Forced 

May provide a more This can be technically and 

migration into 

satisfactory long term economically difficult to 

other frequency  solution than migration  implement.  In some cases there 

bands 

within tuning ranges 

will be no suitable alternative 

spectrum and in others it will 

require new costly infrastructure.  

It may also require a longer 

transition period that does not fit 

with the need to allow early 

release of spectrum. 

Forced use of 

This could release 

Insufficient spectrum may be 

more spectrally  limited spectrum by released.  May lead to a 

efficient 

using equipment that is  temporary increase in the 

equipment 

more spectrally efficient  spectrum required by existing 

in part of the available  operators if a transition period is 

band. 

required (i.e. both technologies 

need to operate simultaneously) 

There is another issue that needs to be considered, which is the cost of 

redeployment.  The main options are: 

The incumbent operator or user pays for the redeployment of his 

own system  

The new entrant pays 

Payment from a centrally managed redeployment fund 

A combination of the above 

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