The Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

Made: 3rd March 2026

Coming into force: 24th March 2026

Before making these Regulations, OFCOM have given notice of their proposal to do so in accordance with section 122(4)(a) of the Act, published notice of their proposal in accordance with section 122(4)(b) of the Act, and have considered the representations made to them before the time specified in the notice in accordance with section 122(4)(c) of the Act.

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 and shall come into force on 24th March 2026.

Amendment of the Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations 2003

2

• (1) The Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations 2003[^f00002]are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 3 (Interpretation), in paragraph 1, in the definition of “the Radio Regulations”, for “the 2004 edition” substitute “the 2024 edition”.

• (3) In regulation 5 (Terms, provisions and limitations), in paragraph 1(b), omit “, unless non-terrestrial use is permitted under Part III of Schedule 6”.

• (4) In Schedule 3, Part 3, paragraph 3—

• (a) in sub-paragraph (d) (Long term evolution radiotelephones (LTE)), after the entry “3400-3800 MHz” in the list of frequency bands, insert the following entries—

• 703–733 MHz
• 738–788 MHz
• 2320–2340 MHz
• 2390–2400 MHz
• 3.8–4.2 GHz
• 24.45–27.5 GHz
• 40.5–43.5 GHz

• (b) after sub-paragraph (e) (Worldwide interoperability for microwave access radiotelephones (WiMax)) insert—

(ff) 5G new radio (NR) radiotelephones - 703–733 MHz - 738–788 MHz - 791–821 MHz - 832–862 MHz - 880–915 MHz - 925–960 MHz - 1710–1785 MHz - 1805–1880 MHz - 1920–1980 MHz - 2110–2170 MHz - 2320–2340 MHz - 2350–2400 MHz - 2500–2690 MHz - 3400–3800 MHz - 3800–4200 MHz - 24.45–27.5 GHz - 40.5–43.5 GHz

; and

• (c) omit sub-paragraphs (f) and (g).

• (5) In Schedule 3, Part 4 (Interface Requirement), after the entry “IR 2097—UK Interface Requirement 2098 Terrestrial systems capable of providing electronic communications services in the 3.4 to 3.8 GHz band, published by the Office of Communications in February 2016” insert the following entries—

• IR 2107 – UK Interface Requirement 2107 Terrestrial systems capable of providing electronic communications services in the 700 MHz band, published by the Office of Communications in March 2021.
• IR 2103 – UK Interface Requirement 2103 Shared Access Low Power, published by the Office of Communications in January 2025.
• IR 2104 – UK Interface Requirement 2104 Shared Access Medium Power, published by the Office of Communications in January 2025.
• IR 2110 – UK Interface Requirement 2110 Terrestrial systems capable of providing electronic communications services in the 26 GHz band in high density areas, published by the Office of Communications in April 2025.

Signed

David Willis — Group Director, Spectrum Group — For and on behalf of the Office of Communications — 3rd March 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/74) (“the Principal Regulations”) to make changes to the class of wireless telegraphy apparatus in respect of which the establishment, installation and use are exempted from the requirement to be licensed under section 8(1) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (c. 36).

Regulations 2(2) and 2(3) make minor drafting and updating changes to regulations 3 and 5 of the Principal Regulations.

Regulation 2(4) amends Part 3 of Schedule 3 to the Principal Regulations to extend the licence exemptions for Long term evolution (LTE) radiotelephones to cover additional frequency bands. The licence exemptions in Part 3 of Schedule 3 are also extended to cover 5G new radio.

Regulation 2(5) amends Part 4 of Schedule 3 to the Principal Regulations to refer to the technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the exemptions to apply.

Technical requirements are set out in Interface Requirement publications. The Interface Requirements are published by OFCOM and are available from OFCOM’s website at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home or from the OFCOM library at Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA.

A full regulatory impact assessment of the effect of these Regulations is available to the public from OFCOM’s website at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/home or from the OFCOM library at Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA. Copies of the assessment have also been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2006 c. 36. Section 8(3) and section 122(7) were extended to the Bailiwick of Guernsey by article 2 of the Wireless Telegraphy (Guernsey) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3325); to the Bailiwick of Jersey by article 2 of the Wireless Telegraphy (Jersey) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3324); and to the Isle of Man by article 2 of the Wireless Telegraphy (Isle of Man) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/278).

[^f00002]: S.I. 2003/74 as amended by S.I. 2003/2155, S.I. 2005/3481, S.I. 2006/2994, S.I. 2008/236, S.I. 2008/2426, S.I. 2010/2512, S.I. 2011/2950, S.I. 2013/1254, S.I. 2016/486 and S.I. 2016/1075.