By enabling large wireless data capacity and speeds, Ofcom hopes that mobile services can be improved as well allowing new services to flourish in the UK.

Allowing for a large amount of radio mmWave spectrum will be particularly beneficial in locations and venues with a lot of mobile users, such as train stations, football stadiums and concerts, where demands on current networks mean mobile data speeds can be sluggish.

The decision comes almost a year after the regulatory body began consultations on the issue.

As well as mobile services, mmWave spectrum could, in future, also support wireless applications requiring large amounts of data, very high speeds, or both. Early indications suggest this could include applications such as virtual reality, factory automation, and intelligent transport systems such as driverless cars.

The new uses of mmWave spectrum will likely be mostly concentrated in areas with high levels of data traffic such as towns and cities.

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Successful rollout of mmWave will likely require significant investment as its signals cannot travel very far and can be easily blocked by obstacles, meaning that mmWave networks will need to be densified to be effective.

Ofcom will award citywide licences to use mmWave spectrum by auction and assign licenses for more localised licences on a first come, first served basis, using its Shared Access licensing framework.

The organisation has said that it is consulting on proposals for the design of the auction for citywide licences, the licence conditions for citywide and local mmWave licences, and how it will coordinate users of this spectrum.

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