The EBU published a press release today on the recent investigation of the ultra-high frequency (UHF) spectrum band within the EU. The report concludes that the most valuable use for radio spectrum for the next 15 years is digital terrestrial broadcasting.
The investigation was carried out by the strategic telecommunications consultancy, Aetha, and was commissioned by leading industry organizations, including the EBU, Broadcast Networks Europe, Abertis Telecom, Arqiva, the BBC and TDF.
The report shows that there is no case for co-primary allocation of the band at next year’s WRC-15 and argues that any loss of UHF would jeopardize the quality of TV services in Europe and undermine the case for future investment by DTT operators.
It states that, "It is clear that the economic benefits for the EU are maximised if the 470–694MHz band continues to be used for DTT for at least the next 15 years – there is clearly no economic case for switching-off existing DTT networks across Europe on the grounds of spectral efficiency."
The one-page summary, executive summary and full report from Aetha can be found in the related information part of this article.