The European Commission will this week unveil plans to allocate more 800MHz frequency to mobile operators, in a bid to boost mobile broadband access.
Commissioners are preparing to back a scheme to allocate the spectrum to mobile carriers by the start of 2013, in a move that would advance digital agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes’ bid to unify the European telecoms sector the New York Times reports.
The plan is tipped to be unveiled September 20, and will require all EU member states to re-allocate the so-called digital dividend spectrum, which is becoming available as TV broadcasters switch from analog to digital.
However, the scheme would disrupt plans in France, Italy and the UK to re-farm the spectrum, NYT noted.
The digital dividend plan is the latest attempt by the EC to introduce common standards and specifications to the region, as part of a bid to supply at least 30Mbps broadband connections to all citizens by 2020.
A five-year plan unveiled in May proposes to all-but eliminate mobile roaming rates, standardize European spectrum policy, establish common digital rights management rules, and collectively tackle cyber crime.