§ 38. Mr. Traceyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress of the cellular radio programme.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherThe cellular radio telephone programme is proceeding on schedule. Licences have now been formally granted to the two cellular radio network operators. Two indentically worded licences will be granted in due course for the provision of services over the cellular networks. It is also proposed to grant a general licence to enable services registered under the existing Value Added Networks General Licence to be offered over the cellular systems. An interim specification defining the air-interface between mobiles or portables and the network base stations is now available, while an interim type approval standard is being drafted for approving subscriber equipment manufactured to that specification. It is proposed that the type approval authority will be the British Approval Board for Telecommunications.
177WBoth cellular operators are actively establishing their network infrastructures and remain confident that their systems will be up and running by the prescribed start-date for commencement of operations, 31 March 1985.