New European rules were published in the Official Journal of the European Union yesterday, 20 October 2009, comprising a Decision and a Directive which updates the 1987 GSM Directive), opening up the GSM radio spectrum band to new services, including 3G and 4G devices as well as mobile broadband.
The new rules make it possible for GSM systems (2G mobile equipment) and UMTS (3G phones that add high-speed mobile internet to regular phone services) to co-exist on the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz GSM frequency bands.
These measures must now be implemented by Europe's 27 Member States within six months, in the case of the Directive, so that GSM spectrum bands are effectively made available for 3G services.
This is the first initiative to reorganise the policy governing radio spectrum use in the European Union and, according to Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for the information society, as quoted in the respective press release, its stated objective is to ''strengthen competition and save the mobile industry up to € 1.6 billion in capital costs''.
Consult:
- Directive 2009/114/EC, of 16.9.2009 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=986550
- Decision 2009/766/EC [notified under C(2009) 7801], of 16.10.2009 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=986552
Further information:
- EU ready for wireless broadband on GSM frequencies http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1545&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
