The European Commission has launched a public consultation on its suggestion for the most effective future use of the 700 MHz band.
Members of the industry and academia as well as users of TV and wireless broadband services have been invited to comment on the report by Pascal Lamy, published last September. The consultation will be open until 12 April.
Currently the 700 MHz band, which includes frequencies from 694-790 MHz, can be used either for broadcasting or mobile services in the EU, as per an agreement of the International Telecommunications Union in 2012.
However, the broadband and telecoms sectors are keen to secure future use of the band for deploying new services.
Lamy’s report suggests two possibilities for future strategy.
The ‘2020-2030-2025’ formula seeks to phase out terrestrial television from the 700 MHz band by 2020, but commits to holding a general review in 2025 and to safeguarding terrestrial broadcasters in the rest of the spectrum until 2030. The ‘flexibility option’ would allow downlink-only wireless broadband in the 470-694 MHz band, ensuring broadcasting would retain priority in the 700 MHz band.
Broadcast Networks Europe, the terrestrial broadcast trade organisation, criticised plans to displace broadcasters from the band by 2020, stating that the deadline was ‘premature’.
The advantage of ultra-high frequencies is the shorter wavelength they produce, which does not require such large and conspicuous transmitting equipment.
The European Commission said in a statement: "It particularly hopes that consumers and their associations will give their views as any future developments in this field could affect the quantity and quality of broadcasting services and could mean that equipment, including TV sets need upgrading or replacing as well as the development of potential of wireless broadband services."
