Vienna hosted last 22 February the fourth meeting of the working group on the long term RSPG opinion on equipment for programme making and special events (PMSE1), chaired by Austria and attended by representatives from various administrations, the European Commission (EC) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).
Highlights of the subjects discussed included the debate on PMSE-available bands that have merited more interest by manufacturers, namely vis-à-vis equipment development and respective market placement, with the UHF band being the most interesting for equipment makers.
The proposed opinion on PMSE resulting from the last meeting was not specifically discussed. Based on a contribution, it was rather decided to discuss key questions for the result of the opinion (e.g. what PMSE applications should be included) and topics about which there is already some consensus from previous discussions. Another contribution concerned the search for new spectrum for PMSE, which will continue, though we should better use what we already have and make available (e.g. via self-coordination techniques). Finally, it was agreed that the discussions’ result should be included in the proposed PMSE opinion under development.
The first version of the proposed opinion should be ready in June 2017 and the final version in November 2017 so it can be subject to public consultation.
1 The RSPG approved at its 40th meeting on 8 June 2016 the development of an RSPG opinion on PMSE, specifically a long term strategy on spectrum requisites for future use and needs of wireless audio and video PMSE applications. The European Commission wants the long term RSPG opinion on PMSE to verify what impact is expected on PMSE services, bearing in mind the evolution of existing use and the growing need to share spectrum usage; it requested an evaluation of strategic options in terms of spectrum access by wireless audio and video PMSE applications which may supply the necessary quality of services for PMSE applications. This RSPG opinion should moreover provide guidelines about the relevance of a common roadmap to support the audio and video PMSE sector in access to spectrum, taking different national needs into account.
