|
The
700 MHz band (694-790 MHz), currently widely used for digital
television signals and wireless microphones, can penetrate
buildings and walls easily and cover larger geographic areas
with less infrastructure than frequencies in higher bands.
The EU hopes that the new allocation of the 700 MHz band will
facilitate the launch of the next-generation 5G mobile
technology that is expected to support driverless cars, remote
healthcare and billions of everyday objects connected to the
Internet.
"5G will change the logic of our economies. Successfully
launching 5G in the European Union will require the efficient
use of spectrum," said MEP Gunnar Hokmark, who steered the
legislation through European Parliament.
"This proposal is a first and very important step forward."
Member states will allocate the 700MHz band to wireless
broadband services by June 30, 2020, but can delay it by up to
two years for legitimate reasons such as unresolved coordination
issues with neighboring non-EU countries or if they need more
time to reallocate the spectrum from broadcasting services.
Thursday's vote means that the European Parliament can start
negotiations with EU member states to reach a final accord,
after which the proposal will become law.
"Europe needs to ensure enough spectrum is allocated to mobile
broadband in order to cope with future data traffic needs," said
Lise Fuhr, Director General of ETNO, a trade group representing
telecoms operators such as Orange, Deutsche Telekom and
Telefonica.
(Reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing by David Goodman)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
