Brussels hosted last 9 March the second meeting of the expert working group on Mobile Connectivity (Mobile EWG).
The group should produce a joint BEREC/RSPG report on mobile connectivity in ‘challenge areas’. Among other aspects, it should include a comprehensive and comparative analysis of initiatives meant to facilitate mobile connectivity in ‘challenge areas’ where mobile operators may be reluctant to implement it. It will include a description of the allocated frequencies and mobile coverage obligations.
The ‘challenge areas’ being considered for mobile coverage to be supplied are transportation, interior spaces, remote rural areas, namely roads and tunnels, etc, and protected areas such as national parks and historic sites. Solutions already implemented in some countries to meet those challenges should be listed, such as frequency and infrastructure sharing, coverage obligations, fixed repeaters in exterior spaces and implementation of the Cost Reduction Directive. This meeting particularly discussed the topics that should be included in the report to be produced.
Regarding monitoring of mobile network coverage, which is entirely BEREC’s responsibility, a common position should result. Given that the different national authorities use different metrics and definitions for mobile coverage, it may be beneficial to reach a common understanding about how mobile coverage can be defined and measured. This group will use much of the work produced by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) in this regard, especially ECC Report 231 on “Mobile Coverage Obligations”. This meeting particularly identified mechanisms that enable information to be collected about practices already implemented in the member states.
The group is also responsible for the matter of “spectrum needs to promote innovation in Europe”, which will result in a joint BEREC/RSPG workshop to be held in this year of 2017, which among other subjects should cover market trends regarding mobile services and IoT applications, the impact of 5G architecture, spectrum needs and respective availability in both time and quantity, and licence types for spectrum and sharing mechanisms. This meeting basically discussed the topics that should be included in the workshop to be held.
