EC Proposes New Uses for Spectrum Freed Up by Digital TV Switch
October 30, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
On Oct. 28, the European Commission (EC) set out plans for a coordinated distribution of newly available radio spectrum to encourage investment and competition for new electronic communication services.
The EC said that if its proposed allocation of the airwaves freed up by the move to digital TV - the so-called "digital dividend" - to new services is coordinated across Europe, it could give the European economy a boost of €20 to €50 billion.
As digital TV replaces analog TV, four-fifths of the airwaves that used to carry TV broadcasts to homes in the European Union (EU) will be freed up. This means they can be used for innovative services that use radio spectrum, including wireless Internet, more advanced mobile phones, and new interactive and high-definition TV channels.
The EC said that remote regions in the EU could be big winners from this switch-over, as wireless broadband could use the new spectrum to deliver high-speed Internet to areas not yet reached by land lines.
The EC's plan for the realization of the digital dividend's full potential involves the European Parliament and EU countries, reflecting the major part they have to play.
"The digital dividend is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make 'broadband for all' a reality all over Europe and boost some of the most innovative sectors of our economy," said Viviane Reding, EC commissioner for information society and media. "Europe will only make the most of the digital dividend if we work together on a common plan. The Commission cooperated closely with EU countries, the European Parliament, industry and consumers' representatives to prepare such a plan."
"I call on EU countries to speed up the move to digital TV and to make it happen by 1 January 2012. I also urge national authorities to use the digital dividend in a pro-competitive way to open up the market for new operators and new services, maximizing the impact on the economy. Only this will ensure the digital dividend is used to bring wireless broadband to parts of the EU where high-speed Internet cannot be provided efficiently by other technologies."
The digital dividend proposals adopted by the EC ask EU member states to speed up the switch-off of analog TV and to complete it by Jan. 1, 2012. Five countries (Finland, Germany, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Sweden) and the U.S. have already shown that analog switch-off can be done quickly (see IP/09/266).
The proposals also seek to realize the potential €20 to €50 billion economic impact of effective European coordination of the digital dividend - an impact spread over 15 years, compared to EU countries acting alone.
To do this, they set out how one part of the freed-up spectrum - namely, the 790-862 MHz subband (the spectrum that travels relatively far and penetrates buildings) - can be set aside to support the emergence of new wireless services, such as 3G and 4G mobile phone services (see IP/09/1238) that allow video streaming, full web browsingand fast downloads on a mobile handset.
This will contribute to achieving the target of high-speed broadband coverage of 100% of the EU population by the end of 2013 (see IP/08/1771 and MEMO/08/735).
To maximize the impact of these moves, the EC said it would harmonize the technical conditions for using the 790-862 MHz subband so that the Single Market is not fragmented when EU countries open the subband for new services in their country.
Service providers and makers of devices and applications can then do business across borders, while consumers will find it easier to use roaming services when they travel.
A similar approach laid the ground for the emergence of Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) mobile phones in the 1990s.
The EC also proposed to address strategic objectives with the European Parliament and the European Council, including:
- Quickening the pace of opening the digital dividend to uses other than high-power broadcasting.
- Agreeing upon a common European position in negotiations with neighboring countries on the digital dividend spectrum.
- Working on the possibility to agree upon future EU targets for using more efficient technologies in the digital dividend.
In the first half of 2010, the EC will seek the support of the European Parliament and European Council on its proposed roadmap. It will also further discuss longer-term issues with existing and potential users of this radio spectrum before finalizing proposals.
Background
In 2007, the EC proposed to make it easier for mobile operators in Europe to offer and develop innovative wireless technologies (see IP/07/1170).
This followed its communication on speeding up the digital switchover, identifying the digital dividend as a priority for spectrum policy. On July 9, 2009, Reding said she would make proposals on the use of the digital dividend under the outgoing EC (see SPEECH/09/336).
Further Information
For more information, see:
Source: European Commission (EC).