CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND--CRFS, the developrs and manufacturer of RFeye real-time spectral-monitoring and management tools, has completed a project to generate a detailed spectrum survey of the UK for Ofcom, the UK telecommunications regulator. CRFS equipped a fleet of vehicles to build a detailed picture of radio spectrum use in key frequency bands (100 MHz to 5 GHz) across the UK while the vehicles traveled about their normal business. The project used the RFeye distributed real-time spectral-analysis system, which was designed by CRFS for the purpose of mobile and fixed-location spectrum monitoring. Data was analyzed to provide a detailed breakdown of spectrum use across the country. During the five-month test campaign, more than 4.2 million individual spectrum measurements were collected. The total distance covered by the vehicles exceeded 65,000 km.
William Webb, Head of Research and Development at Ofcom, states, "One of Ofcom's key objectives is to ensure the most efficient use of spectrum in the UK. To realize this aim, we neet the best information on current levels of spectrum use accros the key frequency bands. This survey has provided us with an insight into spectrum use over a wide geographical area. Ofcom will now evaluate the results of this survey and assess how it can be used in future spectrum allocation."