Spectrum Allocations
The spectrum used within the Velocity Interoperability Network is divided by the Communications Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network into thirteen bands. Each band is assigned to one of the allocation classes described under Spectrum, and an allocation may be made in a band only under the class assigned to it. The band plan below was published on 6 September 2026 and is the basis on which every entry in the Register of Allocations is made.
Three bands are reserved. Bands I and III carry the timing, routing, authentication and control signalling on which the Network itself depends and are allocated to Network institutions only. Band VI is reserved for the public broadcasting service. No application for an allocation in a reserved band will be examined.
The Network band plan. Frequencies are stated as the lower and upper limits of the band. Channel widths within a band are fixed by the Department when an allocation is made and are recorded in the register.
| Band | Frequency range | Class | Use | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band I | 68 to 87.5 MHz | A | Network timing and synchronisation reference; emergency coordination | Reserved |
| Band II | 146 to 174 MHz | B | Member primary voice and low-rate data | Open to allocation |
| Band III | 380 to 400 MHz | A | Routing, authentication and control signalling | Reserved |
| Band IV | 410 to 430 MHz | C | Shared services: site operations and transport coordination | Open to allocation |
| Band V | 450 to 470 MHz | B | Member primary data | Open to allocation |
| Band VI | 470 to 694 MHz | D | Public broadcasting service and official announcements | Reserved |
| Band VII | 863 to 870 MHz | E | Licensed short-range devices and telemetry | Licensed |
| Band VIII | 1 427 to 1 518 MHz | C | Shared services: point-to-point links between sites | Open to allocation |
| Band IX | 2 300 to 2 400 MHz | F | Temporary allocations for exercises, events and trials | Temporary |
| Band X | 3 400 to 3 800 MHz | B and C | Member and shared high-capacity links | Open to allocation |
| Band XI | 5 725 to 5 875 MHz | E | Licensed test equipment and local networks | Licensed |
| Band XII | 10.7 to 11.7 GHz | C | Fixed dish links between sites | Open to allocation |
| Band XIII | 24.25 to 27.5 GHz | F | Trials of high-capacity links | Temporary |
Bands marked open to allocation are available for application under the class shown. Bands marked licensed are available to certified equipment under a Class E licence. Bands marked temporary are available for allocations of no more than 30 days under Class F. Band X is divided between member primary and shared service allocations, with the division recorded in the register.
Channels reserved for broadcasting. Band VI is divided into six channels of 8 MHz, each carrying one part of the public broadcasting service. The channels are administered by the Department and are not available for allocation to other users. Members relaying the service do so on their own channels or on channel D6.
| Channel | Centre frequency | Carries | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | 474 MHz | Official announcements | Carried at the time of issue |
| D2 | 482 MHz | Emergency notices | Continuous; takes precedence on every channel |
| D3 | 490 MHz | Notices of change | Carried before the change takes effect |
| D4 | 498 MHz | Proceedings and decisions | Carried within one working day of publication |
| D5 | 506 MHz | Daily bulletins | Morning, midday and evening |
| D6 | 514 MHz | Relay and reserve | Held for members relaying the service |
What each channel carries and the order of precedence between them are set out under Broadcasting; the times at which each bulletin is carried are set out in the broadcast schedule.
The Register of Allocations. The register records every allocation and licence in force within the Network: the holder, the band and channel, the class under which the allocation was made, any conditions attached to it and the date on which it expires. It also records applications that have been acknowledged but not yet decided. The register is the authoritative record of what may transmit on a Network channel. Equipment operating outside it is in breach of the Network's rules and may be directed to cease transmitting.
- 13
- Bands in the Network band plan
- 24
- Member primary allocations recorded on the opening day
- 7
- Shared service allocations in force
- 6
- Channels reserved for the public broadcasting service
The summary below is updated at the close of each working day. The entries recorded on the opening day are the primary allocation made to each member on admission, the allocations made to shared services already in operation and the channels reserved for the Network and for broadcasting.
| Class | Allocations in force | Pending applications | Bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: Network control | 4 | Not open to application | I, III |
| B: Member primary | 24 | 2 | II, V, X |
| C: Shared service | 7 | 5 | IV, VIII, X, XII |
| D: Public broadcasting | 6 | Not open to application | VI |
| E: Licensed equipment | 18 | 19 | VII, XI |
| F: Temporary | 3 | 5 | IX, XIII |
A member may inspect the full entry recorded against it, and the entries recorded against any channel adjacent to its own, by writing to contact@communications.gov.vin. Members should check the entry recorded against them and notify the Department of any error. A holder who believes another allocation is interfering with its own should follow the procedure under Interference.
Applications for an allocation in a band open to allocation, or for a licence in a licensed band, are made under the procedure set out under Licensing. Changes to the band plan are announced in the Newsroom and carried as notices of change on the public broadcasting service before they take effect.