12Allocation limits

12  Allocation limits

 (1) The allocation of spectrum licences under this instrument must not result in a person exceeding the allocation limit for the area of a metropolitan product or regional product.

 (2) A person exceeds the allocation limit for the area of a metropolitan product or regional product if:

 (a) the person is allocated a lot or lots of the product under this instrument; and

 (b) having regard to subsection (4), the person, or the relevant group of persons that includes the person, is authorised to use, in aggregate, more of the relevant spectrum in all or part of the area of the product than the allocation limit for the area.

Note: Some existing authorisations are disregarded: see subsection (5) of this section, subsection 13(2) and section 14.

Meaning of allocation limit

 (3) The allocation limit is:

 (a) for the area of a metropolitan product—140 MHz of spectrum; and

 (b) for the area of a regional product—160 MHz of spectrum.

Authorisations that are relevant

 (4) In determining for the purposes of this section how much relevant spectrum a person is authorised to use in an area at a time, take into account:

 (a) if the time is before the end of the 3.7 GHz auction—authorisations to operate radiocommunications devices in a specified part of the relevant spectrum in the area, where those authorisations are in spectrum licences that exist at the time; and

 (b) if the time is after the end of the 3.7 GHz auction:

 (i) authorisations to operate radiocommunications devices in a specified part of the relevant spectrum in the area, where those authorisations are in spectrum licences that exist at the time; and

 (ii) authorisations in spectrum licences to be issued to persons to operate radiocommunications devices specifying the lot bandwidth (expressed in MHz) and area of any lots allocated to those persons in the primary stage or secondary stage (if any) of the 3.7 GHz auction.

Note: For additional rules about determining how bids affect the allocation limit, see section 13.

Authorisations that are not relevant

 (5) For the purposes of this section, do not take into account:

 (a) authorisations under subsection 68(1) of the Act (about third party use);

 (b) apparatus licences and class licences.