EU agrees for mobile operators to get more bandwidth
Telecoms ministers across Europe have agreed to proposals to make the 700MHz band available to mobile broadband services by 2020, to progress the rollout of 4G and allow for the transition to 5G technology. The deal requires EU countries to set out strategies for the reassignment of the 700MHz band to wireless broadband by June 2018. The handover is expected to take four years. The news was welcomed by GSMA, the lobby group representing BT, Three, TalkTalk, and Vodafone in the UK. Chief regulatory officer for GSMA, John Giusti, highlighted difficulties with the rollout of the 800MHz band in Europe and emphasised the need for a realistic timetable. The proposals now need approval from the European Parliament to become law.

Europe’s telecommunications ministers agreed on Thursday that the 700MHz band should be handed over to mobile broadband services by 2020 to allow them to push 4G, and more easily transition to the next generation 5G tech.

Under the proposed deal, approved by the telecoms council, EU countries must set out national strategies to reassign the 700MHz band (694-790MHz) to wireless broadband by June 2018, with the handover expected to be completed by four years from now.

In exceptional circumstances—such as unresolved harmful interference, or cross-border coordination issues—an extension of two years may be considered.

UK communications regulator Ofcom had initially planned to make the spectrum available for mobile data by the end of 2021, however a consultation process which closed last Friday, considered whether it might be possible to deliver in time for the EU deadline.

According to Ofcom, “analysis suggests that benefits to citizens and consumers would be greater if it was available sooner.”

This would involve changing the frequencies used by some temporary digital terrestrial television (DTT) services, which operate in the 600MHz band (550-606MHz).

The European position stipulates that countries must ensure the availability of the sub-700MHz (470-694MHz) band for digital television and wireless microphones at least until 2030 saying this will give the audiovisual sector “long-term regulatory predictability as regards the availability of sufficient spectrum, so that it can continue to provide and develop services and secure necessary investments.”

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Lobby group the GSMA—which represents BT, Three, TalkTalk, and Vodafone in the UK—welcomed the plan.

“The timely and coordinated release of the 700MHz band is critical for the development of mobile communications in Europe,” said GSMA chief regulatory officer John Giusti.

However he pointed out that there had been difficulties with the rollout of the 800MHz band in Europe and said that the time frame must remain realistic.

“We are hoping to see a different scenario than we had with the implementation of 800MHz, where certain countries requested longer periods of time to release the band. We recognise that there are differences in frequency use among member states, and it is only natural that timing may vary slightly. However, we should agree on maintaining 2020 as an ultimate milestone in the shift to mobile for the 700MHz band. Without this commitment, Europe is at risk of falling behind other regions in mobile broadband development,” Giusti said.

The European Parliament must give its approval of the text before it can become law.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has given the thumbs up to the UK government's so-called National Broadband Scheme for 2016-2020, by confirming that it complies with EU state aid rules. The scheme aims to connect as many homes and businesses as possible throughout the UK to high speed broadband.