Transferring the 700 MHz band from the audiovisual sector to mobile telephony by 2020 and guaranteeing that radio broadcasters will keep the bands below this spectrum until 2030: this is the compromise proposed by Pascal Lamy in a
report
on the allocation of frequencies, presented, on 1 September to the European Commission.
To reach this compromise, Lamy, a former director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and ex-commissioner, joked to the press that he had led a “mission to keep…
Lamy’s report in brief
The president of the high-level group on the future of the UHF band has proposed:- Transfer of the 700 MHz band from the audiovisual sector to mobile by 2020, ‘plus or minus two years’- Maintaining the use of 470-694 MHz band for the audiovisual sector until 2030- Stock-taking in 2025 to re-evaluate this calendar in the light of technological developments and consumer behaviourThe goal is to harmonise timing and means of attributing frequency bands, as the EU has already done for the 800 MHz band.At the same time, the EU should try to reach a common position before the next world conference on radio communications, which will take place in Geneva in November 2015 under the guidance of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). To this end, the Commission should give guidelines to the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications, an organisation bringing together member states, which is competent to negotiate in Geneva.
