ECC TG6 (long term vision UHF) was created at the 34th ECC meeting in June 2013. Its main goal is to produce studies providing a long term view for the UHF broadcasting band in Europe, focusing specifically on the following vital questions:
- to identify and analyse possible scenarios for the band’s long term development, based on the current situation and taking into account ongoing studies on the 700 MHz band in Europe and short/medium term developments, for example concerning item 1.2 of the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) agenda and the response to the EC mandate;
- the CEPT administrations’ flexibility so that they can individually consider the band’s future use;
- how to guarantee fair access to the band by CEPT administrations which want to operate broadcasting services;
- how to make certain that there will be a stable environment for future investments by the services envisaged for the band, including programme making and special events (PMSE).
The group should accordingly produce an ECC report.
The group’s first meeting was held last 7-9 October in Copenhagen, attended by 56 participants, including 17 administrations (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), the European Communications Office (ECO), European Commission (EC) and various organisations and companies. The group is chaired by the Portuguese administration.
The discussion focused on various documents concerning broadcasting networks, mobile networks, mobile and broadcasting systems and cross-border coordination of services and networks, as well as several generic questions including the organisation of TG6. These documents will probably be considered at future meetings regarding development of the ECC report proposal.
Given TG6’s task of drawing up an ECC report that considers different scenarios for long term development of the ultra high frequency (UHF) band based on the current situation, there was considered to be a need to establish a framework to determine how they might occur, using the input prepared for this meeting. Regarding the studies’ arrangement, and after potential services for the 470-694 MHz band have been identified, the following procedure should be used:
- Step 1: proposed scenarios for the 470-694 MHz band;
- Step 2: analysis of scenarios;
- Step 3: development of recommendation(s), as appropriate, based on the analyses in step 2.
This meeting also approved the structure for the Draft ECC Report to be produced.
