The way is now clear for spectrum refarming

2G spectrum should be reused to allow 3G to access remote areas, according to a new report from Analysys Mason. According to Catherine Viola, the regulatory bottleneck at EU level had deterred many national regulatory authorities (NRAs) from acting on spectrum refarming and therefore delayed operators in those countries from reaping the coverage and cost-saving benefits of deploying a UMTS network in this lower-frequency spectrum. The way is now cleared for NRAs throughout the region to introduce refarming measures, and for operators to realise the benefits that UMTS900 offers." She said in her report that lower frequencies allow for fewer sites than on 2100Mhz, which in turn offers massive savings. Article