Neutral Host: Spectrum

The term “Neutral Hosting,” to coin a phrase, “does what is says on the tin.” A neutral party hosts a resource that is then shared out between those who wish to use it.

Unfortunately, that is where the simplicity ends. Who might the “host” be, “what” precisely will be shared, will it be at the “passive” (i.e. metalwork) or “active” level? “Who” might be doing the sharing, on “what” terms, “where” and why is it even necessary to share? This is before we even address the key questions of security and spectrum… as well as “does it exist already?”

This paper seeks to break down the complex topic into more digestible building blocks to help people get to grips with the issues that surround this fascinating topic, whilst also touching on the relevance of the Shared Rural Networks strategy to the mix. For rural areas, this topic is particularly pressing, and set against the backdrop of Openreach switching off old copper infrastructure – which is most typically in rural areas – and Ofcom’s recent consultation on the future of 3G spectrum.

Download the full report on the right 👉