On 15 February 2012 the European Parliament (EP) approved the Council's common position at first reading on the first Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP) until 2015, thus concluding the legislative process. The programme includes provisions that aim at the coordinated use of the spectrum in the European Union (EU), in order to be able to satisfy the growing wireless data transmission needs. In 2013 Member States will have to release more frequencies for high speed mobile Internet.
Several technologies that are part of our every-day life (including those for television broadcasting, mobile communications, remote controls, and satellite navigation, for example) use radio-electric waves that operate at frequencies between 9 and 300 GHz, in the designated radio spectrum. However, this is a limited resource that can only host a certain numbers of users, so careful planning and management is required to avoid interference and maximize its potential.
The 800 MHz frequency band is currently used for the broadcasting of analogue television in most Member States. However, in general it will be released by the end of 2012 when television becomes fully digital. This so-called digital dividend will be allocated to high speed Internet, with the aim of reducing the pressure of data traffic (caused by the increasing number of smartphones and heavy data services) on the current third generation networks. This will promote faster broadband connections, particularly in remote areas, and provide a new impetus for wireless Internet services in Europe.
Although radio frequency management is a national competence, the EU has played an important role in policy coordination and establishing standards, especially for mobile communications.
Further information:
- EP endorses plan to free up frequencies for high-speed mobile internet http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20120210STO37772/html/EP-endorses-plan-to-free-up-frequencies-for-high-speed-mobile-internet
- Position (EU) No 4/2012 adopted by the Council on 13 December 2011 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:2012:046E:SOM:EN:HTML
- Roadmap for a wireless Europe http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/radio_spectrum/eu_policy/rspp/index_en.htm
