The European Parliament and Commission have organised a Spectrum Summit (22-23 March 2010) to gather stakeholder input on the strategic issues for future spectrum policy. The debate is to contribute to the preparation of the policy orientations and objectives for the EU radio spectrum policy programme for the period 2010-2015.
Digital switchover delivers ‘Digital Dividend’
One of the major milestones of all media organisations over the last ten years, is the analogue to digital switchover of terrestrial television. The DVB-T standard has allowed a more efficient use of the spectrum while creating a much more attractive television offer, including new innovative services. Mobile services, such as broadband wireless, have also been beneficiaries of broadcasting services' greater efficiency, especially by allocating them in the so-called 800 MHz Digital Dividend band. This has been part of the EU policy objectives of supporting high speed broadband for all.
Will the EU policy deliver ‘Mobile Dividend’?
We will certainly see the analogue television switch off by 2012 as one of the challenges of the EU spectrum policy; it is a key condition for broadcasting services to clear the 800 MHz band. What remains uncertain is whether other services (such as mobile services) will also have such high level objectives of spectrum efficiency. Many frequency bands in the UHF band allocated to mobile services are still under-used. Before allocating additional spectrum to mobile services, available spectrum should be used first.
In addition Mobile Network operators are running networks with old technologies (2G, 2.5 G or GSM) alongside new networks (3G and 4G, imminently). If Mobile Network operators implement the most advanced broadband technology to avoid capacity bottlenecks and would close down the old networks, as broadcasters are switching off analogue television, this might turn into a 'Mobile Dividend' for all.
Terrestrial broadcasting and broadband are both crucial platforms for media organisations, today and in the future. The EU spectrum policy should reflect the complementary nature of broadcasting and broadband, seeking to facilitate future development of both platforms and applying the same rigour for broadband as it is applied to broadcasting with respect to quality of service, universal access, and economic and technical efficiency.