Brussels, 24/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - Europe cannot prevaricate: if it wants to claim back its place as global leader in information and communication technologies, it must adopt a harmonised approach to the management of the radio spectrum and put forward a united front on the international scene. All those taking part in the “Spectrum Summit”, organised by the European Commission and Parliament in Brussels on 22-23 March, were agreed on this point and called on member states to coordinate their approaches. Vast sums of money are at stake: €250 billion of activity annually.
Currently, spectrum management is fragmented in national bodies, with no coordination. However, when EU countries switch over from analogue to digital transmission the crucial issue of allocation of those parts of the spectrum freed up (UHF - 470-862MHz) will have to be asked urgently. What policy should be adopted? Should there be an auctions system set up? How much convergence should there be within the European Union? At the invitation of the European Parliament and Council, the Commission, in early March, launched a consultation exercise on the strategic priorities of an EU radio spectrum programme for 2011-2015, with the aim of bringing forward a multiannual programme in the near future. This programme will define the policy orientations and objectives for strategic planning and harmonisation of the spectrum, a “scarce resource” and a “public good”, as Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes pointed out. She promised an ambitious programme, noting, however, that the political decisions would not be easy, given that there were a number of legitimate competing interests. Telecommunications operators and the internet industry want liberalisation of the spectrum to work for them to be able to launch innovative and high performance wireless services for all. On the other hand, radio broadcasters fear that allocation of frequencies to these new players will create interference on those parts of the spectrum that have been allocated to them. Further, the spectrum is used by others, such as the defence sector, police and maritime transport. Kroes announced that she intended to propose that the Commission adopt a technical harmonisation measure on the 800 MHz band, which is highly sought-after, especially by mobile operators.
The first workshop, devoted to the economic and social implications of the first European political programme on the spectrum, highlighted the need for Europe to create a single market, without which it could lose the race with the United States and Japan in developing new technologies. “Parliament is calling for a coordinated, effective strategy for an effective policy, with member states which work together,” stated MEP Pilar del Castillo Vera (EPP, Spain). “We need a competitive digital economy. We have to use the best frequencies for these new services,” argued Gunnar Hökmark (EPP, Sweden). Conference participants also discussed the second part of the EU2020 strategy which relates to the new “green” technologies, which are essential to sustainable, intelligent development in Europe. The second workshop considered the potential benefits of the digital dividend: ensuring high quality, broadband television for all EU citizens. There has to be a harmonised, more ambitious and realistic approach, summed up Mike Byrne of Comreg, the Irish regulatory authority, at the end of the workshop. The complexity of the issue is not an excuse for not doing anything, he stated. In the final part of the conference, Roberto Viola, chairman of the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG), a body set up in 2002 to advise the Commission on spectrum management issues, promised to “adopt a very clear text on the objectives of our opinion”. The group was due to meet in the afternoon of 23 March to discuss a draft opinion. The text will be finalised in April. Three pillars will support the opinion: 1) the contribution of the spectrum to the EU2020 programme;: all citizens should have a broadband wireless system, the RSPG says; 2) spectrum governance: there has to be a high level of coordination, experts agree; 3) the European Union and external spectrum management: the problems, particularly of interference, have to be addressed with neighbouring countries. For this, Europe must plan a multi-level agenda. According to Byrne the essential things were progressive standards, coherence and certainty. (I.L./transl.rt)