Brussels, 14/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - By virtue of the decision adopted by the European Commission on Thursday, wireless Internet access should be faster and more widely available throughout the European Union. This decision provides for a large portion of the radio-electric spectre to be made available to local radio-electric networks, opening up the path to a single, open and competitive market for wireless access systems. What this means is that too specific bands of frequency (5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5725 MHz) will be made available to wireless access systems in all Member States. These networks (which are known as WiFi) were developed for private use initially (company intranets, for example). Since then, they have demonstrated their qualities on the public Internet access market in areas such as an airports, railway stations and shopping centres, and previously worked in the unlicensed band of 2.4 GHz. Access to the radio-electric spectre, under joint rules, will help to bring the price of equipment down and to tackle the growing surcharge on the spectre which is already used to this end. It will make it easier to adopt wireless systems in the private and public sectors, whether these are company networks or those for access points ("hotspots") in public areas. The decision also brings in an innovative management strategy, in that it requires the application of "intelligent" techniques to protect other users sharing the same frequencies (military radars and satellite services) from possible damaging interference. According to analysts, the number of users of WiFi networks throughout the whole world (120 million people currently, of whom 25 million are in Western Europe) may reach 500 million or more in the next three years. The decision was adopted as part of the initiative i2010, which aims to support growth and employment in the field of the digital economy, and must be transposed by the Member States by 31 October 2005. According to the Commissioner for the Information Society, Viviane Reding, "broadband electronic communication networks are essential for the competitiveness of Europe. A favourable regulatory environment is the key to their success". She hopes that the decision taken by the Commission will help the industry to create innovative services for European single market.