The fourth meeting of the expert working group on Mobile Connectivity (Mobile EWG) was held last 8 June in Brussels.
The group is to produce a BEREC/RSPG joint report on mobile connectivity in challenge areas, which among other aspects should include a comprehensive and comparative analysis of initiatives meant to facilitate mobile connectivity in challenge areas where mobile operators may be reluctant to implement it and include a description of the mobile coverage obligations and allocated frequencies. Various contributions were received from member states, including solutions already applied to supply coverage in challenge areas and which will be borne in mind when drawing up the report, which should consider the identification of those areas, the solutions found and respective implementation problems.
Regarding mobile network coverage monitoring, entirely the responsibility of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), the result should be a common position with a view to reaching a common understanding on the definition and measurement of mobile coverage, given that different national authorities currently use various metrics and definitions. This group will extensively use the work produced by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) in this regard, particularly ECC Report 321 on “Mobile Coverage Obligations”. This meeting served to discuss a list with several items deemed useful for defining mobile coverage from an overall standpoint and not just based on mandatory coverage obligations for mobile operators.
The group is also responsible for the topic of ‘Spectrum needs to promote innovation in Europe’, whose result will be a BEREC/RSPG joint workshop planned for 2018.
