Wireless has become one of the most dynamic areas of telecoms technologies, and regulators and policymakers increasingly see forms of spectrum trading and liberalisation as essential to maximising innovation, competition and economic efficiency, particularly in mobile markets. As a result, growing numbers of countries have adopted, or are proposing to adopt, regimes that allow operators and carriers to obtain tradable rights in radio spectrum. But the introduction of such rights, depending on their form, could fundamentally change existing industry power structures and inject new uncertainties into operators' business models.

Depending on whether regulatory regimes tend to favour either simple spectrum trading or, alternatively, spectrum trading with liberalisation of spectrum use, mobile markets are likely to tip in one of two directions - in the first case, accelerating the process towards consolidation of market power and, in the second, leading to much greater diversity in services and substantially increased levels of competition.

Players need to understand fully the wide-ranging implications of spectrum trading, especially where this is accompanied by liberalisation in the use of spectrum, in order to be in a position to drive outcomes in national and international markets. This will enable them to marshal lobbying resources, correctly configure their business models and make the right investments to achieve a more controlled response to the new regulatory and business environments.

Spectrum Trading and Liberalisation: New threats and opportunities for telecoms business models analyses the hidden threats and opportunities of the unfolding new regimes, and discusses the strategic implications for the major types of player affected by the change in spectrum regimes: mobile operators and fixed/mobile incumbents. Key issues examined include:

the different impacts of simple spectrum trading versus trading with technology and service liberalisation
how sources of value will change under the new spectrum regimes
how players' existing valuations could be threatened
how can players understand the new market dynamics to help adjust their business models for the future?
Who should read this report? If you are an operator, investment bank, vendor, regulator or consultancy working on investment, policy or strategic decisions in wireless telecoms services, you need this report's understanding of the potentially huge impact of spectrum trading and liberalisation on market structures and player business models.