On Monday, 4 December, European ministers responsible for telecommunications adopted a roadmap for the development on the fifth generation of communications infrastructure (5G) in Europe. This document follows their statement made on 18 July.
Urve Palo, the Estonian Minister for Entrepreneurship and Information Technologies has stated that “These 5G networks are needed both for citizens and the devices that require reliable and high-speed internet access to cope with increasingly large quantities of data".
In practice, ministers reassert their determination to make Europe a global leader in 5G. they are committed to developing the political and regulatory conditions at regional, national and European levels and that these levels are “clear, predictable and future looking” and facilitate investment in a competitive market. They outline the following timetable: - 2018: Commission presentation of the guidelines clarifying application of the state aid rules in relation to possible compensation for current frequency users. - Mid-2018: adoption of the electronic communications code by Parliament and the Council. - Mid-2019: technical harmonisation of spectrum bands 3.4-3.8 GHz and 24.25-27.5 GHz on the basis of the conclusions from the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) at the beginning of 2019, leading to the rapid deployment of frequency bands and the coordinated introduction of 5G. - Mid-2020: transposition of the electronic communications code in to national law. - 2020: 700 MHz frequency bands are assigned in the majority of member states; 5G infrastructures in at least one city in each member state. - 2022: availability 700 MHz frequency bands in all member states. - 2018-2025: Rolling out of 5G infrastructure; - 2025: gigabyte society (5G in the majority of cities and along the main roads).
During a point of information on the electronic communications code, the Estonian Presidency also called on the EU28 to take a position on the two ideas put forward by the European Parliament in its negotiating position, namely, the abolition of surcharges for intra-EU international calls and the introduction of a warning system in emergency situations (‘‘112 reversed’’) to warn of attacks. The roadmap can be seen at the following link: http://bit.ly/2AolwbC . (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)