Essence of SM
With such increase in the use of the radio frequencies, spectrum management has become particularly important for Uganda especially where:
- Local terrain favours the use of digital microwave as a transmission media for telephony;
- Currently there is an existing need for rural telephony penetration, a need that may be met by radio extensions ( such as through mobile cellular networks /wireless local loop) from the existing backbone systems
Frequencies are allocated to service categories based on the total projected service requirements, and assigned to specific users as their needs develop. International frequency allocation to broad service categories is done at World Radio Communication Conferences under the auspices of ITU, actual frequency assignments is done in Uganda. The local assignments may choose to adopt more narrowly defined allocation plans than the ITU's.
This process requires long-term planning that guarantees availability of usable frequencies when new technologies come to the market. Since radio spectrum is a natural but limited resource and that no additional spectrum cannot be produced and discovered, the UCC can maximise spectrum capacity by adopting one or more of the following strategies:
- Making more efficient use of the current allocations;
- Re-accommodating incumbent spectrum users to less congested frequency bands;
- Replacing spectrum technologies with non-spectrum technologies such as fiber optics;
- Taking advantage of newer technologies that utilize high frequencies.
UCC is working with spectrum users to develop Uganda’s national table of frequency allocations with a degree of conformity with ITU table of frequency allocations but based on market requirements within Uganda