WIREDGOV

With Christmas on the horizon, lots of us are either already wrapped up with our gift shopping or still have things to buy for our nearest and dearest.

And this year, like many years, will see tech gifts at the top of a lot of people’s Christmas lists, whether they’re buying for somebody else or treating themselves to the latest gadget.

But did you know some of the best sellers depend on radio spectrum in order to work?

What is spectrum?

You can’t see or feel radio spectrum. But any device that communicates wirelessly needs spectrum – such as televisions, car key fobs, baby monitors, wireless microphones and wi-fi networks. Mobile phones use spectrum to connect to a local mast so people can make calls and access the internet.

Why does Ofcom manage spectrum use?

Spectrum is a finite resource, so it needs to be managed carefully. Certain bands of spectrum are also used for different purposes. For example, mobile companies use different parts of the spectrum to TV companies. So, it needs to be managed to prevent services interfering with each other and causing disruption to people and businesses.

Does my gift rely on spectrum?

There’s lots of gadgets that you might not realise need spectrum in order to function. We’ve chosen a few of the likely big sellers this Christmas, to give an idea of how spectrum is often the key to how they work.

Drones: Drones can range from the small, indoor models popular with kids, to the more serious outdoor models used by hobbyists and aerial photographers. But the technology behind them is largely the same. They can be controlled via a smartphone or tablet, or a dedicated controller – but they depend on a wireless connection to do this, and that wireless connection uses radio spectrum.

Remote-controlled toys: Most remote-controlled toys use radio waves to transmit signals from the controller to the vehicle - it’s these signals that communicate with the toy and tell it how to move. In fact, you might have heard these toys also referred to as ‘radio-controlled toys’.

Bluetooth headphones: Bluetooth is a wireless technology that’s used in a lot of the wireless audio equipment that we use at home and on the move. Bluetooth works by using radio waves to enable an audio source (which could be a smartphone or a dedicated piece of hi-fi output equipment) to communicate with headphones without the need for wires.

Smart speakers: Smart speakers are used in many homes, and our recent research showed that the devices are helping to combat loneliness for people who live alone. They operate on home wi-fi networks, which are dependent on spectrum to function.

Wireless consoles and controllers: Gaming-related gadgets are always popular gifts, and some gaming devices and controllers operate wirelessly. For example, some consoles will link to your home wi-fi network in order for you to play games online. Meanwhile, wired controllers are these days a thing of the past, with wireless controllers now the norm. And similarly to the controller for a remote-controlled car, it’s a case of the controller communicating with the console and ‘telling’ the console what to do, which then results in the moves and actions you see on-screen in the game.