London hosted last 5 May the fourth meeting of the RSPG working group (WG) responsible for revising the radio spectrum policy programme (RSPP), chaired by Fokko Bos and Didier Chaveau of France.
This WG was created by the RSPG at its November 2014 meeting to:
- evaluate strategy questions concerning spectrum and the need for its harmonisation in the European Union (EU), which should be considered during the next five years (2015/20);
- develop strategy recommendations to support various EU policy areas involving spectrum use such as electronic communications, research, technological development, transportation and audiovisual policies.
The group is meant to finish its finding/opinion by February 2016.
Basically, the WG discussed issues such as the RSPP revision calendar, RSPP/electronic communications framework/spectrum decision interaction and the harmonisation needs of broadband mobile networks.
An agreement between participants on the spectrum decision’s importance stands out, given that it has been an efficient tool for developing harmonised technical conditions in Europe, as otherwise mentioned by the European Commission (EC) in its mid-term report on the RSPP, because it ensures the correct balance between more spectrum harmonisation and the need to take the variety of spectrum uses and needs among different member states into account. It was likewise agreed that, as done for 800 MHz in the current RSPP, legal measures are needed to require member states to make the 700 MHz band available for electronic communications by the end of 2020/2022.
Also discussed was the distinction between the obligation to ‘make available’ spectrum bands as occurs in spectrum decisions and the obligations set out in the RSPP. The EC was asked to investigate whether there is any difference from the legal standpoint.