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European 700MHz band should be freed for mobile broadband by 2020, report says

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2 September 2014

Europe’s 700MHz band should be freed for mobile broadband by 2020, a report to the European Commission recommends.

The extra spectrum is needed to meet increasing demand for video on tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices.

The 700MHz Ultra High Frequency (UHF) spectrum is currently used for terrestrial broadcasting networks and wireless microphones, but it should be dedicated to wireless broadband across Europe around 2020, proposed a report prepared by former commissioner Pascal Lamy.

While there is no immediate need for wireless use of that spectrum band in Europe, the report set a deadline for the assignment to mobile around 2020 with a margin of two years before or after. This leaves time for a proper transition period, likely to bring down costs for both consumers and broadcasters, the Commission said.

The report also proposed that the remaining UHF spectrum below 700MHz be safeguarded for broadcasters until 2030. Europe should also reject any plans for primary allocation of mobile to the 470-694MHz band at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015. A review to assess technology and market developments should be planned for 2025, the report proposed.

While there was a lot of common ground in the group, involving top executives from Europe’s broadcasters, network operators, mobile companies and tech associations, differences remained between the mobile and broadcasting communities on two key issues. First, they couldn’t agree on the flexibility around the target date for repurposing the 700MHz band. They also couldn’t agree on the duration of the period during which the spectrum below the 700MHz band should remain allocated exclusively to broadcasting in the EU.

Because a compromise package could not be agreed on, Lamy prepared the report himself, the Commission said.

The GSMA, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide said in a news release that it welcomed the call for the 700MHz band to be repurposed.

However, to close the gap with North America and Asia, “it is essential that Member States have flexibility to move sooner, preferably between 2018 and 2020 and potentially earlier,” Anne Bouverot, director general of the GSMA said in a statement. This should be possible to respond to the sustained growth in mobile data traffic and the dramatic change in the way citizens across Europe are watching news and entertainment content, relying more and more on the Internet to access programming, she said.

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