[A2k] EU and mobile spectrum/DTV switchover

[jeff@democraticmedia.org]

(this could be important unlicensed spectrum perhaps?)

Communications Daily (US), August 2, 2006



=91Pre-Reservation=92 Debated

EC Urged to Make Spectrum Available Before DTV Switchover

 The EC should free up spectrum for mobile multimedia broadcasting before
the digital switchover, industry
players told the EC=92s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG).  There=92s grow=
ing
evidence that consumers want mo-
bile TV services now, they said in comments made public Tues.  Several
also urged the RSPG not to recommend
reserving spectrum for particular services.

 The policy group -- completing an opinion for the EC on how to help
introduce multimedia services in
Europe -- sought comments in May on its draft recommendations.  These
include: (1) Investigating the use of fre-
quency bands now allocated to broadcasting (1452-1492 MHz, the L Band) as
a way of launching mobile multime-
dia services more quickly.  (2) Considering the allocation of other bands
to such services (2 GHz and 2.5 GHz,
VHF, now used for 3G wireless communications, and 1980-2010 and 2170-2200,
used for satellite services).  (3)
Allocation of a minimum amount of spectrum in the 470-862 MHz (UHF) band
for provision of mobile multimedia
services as permitted by market conditions and analog switchoff.

 Wherever possible, spectrum in the UHF band should be released for mobile
multimedia broadcast net-
works before digital switchover, said Intel, GSM Europe, the UMTS Forum
and the European Information, Com-
munications & Consumer Electronics Technology Industry Assns. (EICTA).
EICTA, Intel and Cisco urged the
RSPG not to encourage reserving spectrum for specific services after
switchover, saying the EU=92s new spectrum
management approach, based on technology and service neutrality, should
apply to the =93digital dividend=94 of fre-
quencies made available by the transition.

 Others disagreed, saying frequency bands already used for broadcasting
should be locked in.  =93Beyond the
regulatory, economic, technological and indeed competition considerations,
the most crucial roadblock for private and
commercial radio broadcasters concerns access to spectrum for digital
broadcasting,=94 said the Assn. of European Ra-
dios.  It urged the EC to guarantee availability of spectrum for digital
broadcasters in the UHF and L Band ranges.

 Significant amounts of spectrum, particularly in the 470-862 MHz range,
are needed and used daily to make
program content in areas such electronic newsgathering, education, film
and concert production and local govt.,
said the British Entertainment Industry Radio Group.  =93Please be aware of
how the content that we all watch, listen to and consume is brought to our
eyes and ears,=94 the organization said.  =93There is a balance to be struc=
k
between
content production and delivery to citizen consumers.=94

 Microsoft complained that while the RSPG =93rightly=94 noted the importanc=
e
of mobile TV technology and
the availability of complementary offerings using 3G wireless
communications, its draft is =93silent on the equally
important development of wireless broadband.=94  Those services are key
candidates for a share of the digital divi-
dend through low-power, license-exempt uses, Microsoft said.  It urged the
RSPG opinion to =93note that license-
exemption is the preferred policy choice in Europe where it is feasible,=94
and to recommend that the EC study the
potential benefits of license-exempt multimedia services running in the TV
broadcast bands. -- Dugie Standeford

 (perhaps also of interest and is being tracked?)


Global Standards Work

Details Emerge About Next Generation Network Specs

 GENEVA - Though a tremendous amount of work lies ahead in forging global
standards for next genera-
tion networks (NGN), details emerged Tues. about 16 recommendations given
preliminary approval at a coordi-
nated meeting of the NGN-Global Standards Initiative.

 The recommendations were the result of about 650 contributions made to
ITU's lead NGN study group,
SG13, since it met in Jan., an official said.  "ITU-T has been working
industriously and steadily on NGN and this is
culminating in a number of key deliverables on NGN... that are... setting
the stage for the next round of deliverables
which will happen within one year," said John Visser of Nortel, speaking
as chmn. of ITU-T study group SG19,
which deals with mobile telecommunication networks.

 The details, not yet announced publicly, reveal more about the NGN
specifications that the ITU preliminar-
ily approved recently (CD Aug 1 p4).  The specifications were for such
things as:  (1) Quality of service support to
virtual private network services.  (2) Functional requirements and
architecture for NGNs.  (3) IMS for next genera-
tion networks.  (4) PSTN/ISDN emulation architecture.  (5) Admission
control functions in NGNs.  (6) B-ISDN
operation and maintenance.  (7) Mobility management requirements.  (8)
PSTN/ISDN evolution to NGN.  The
specifications will enter ITU's 4-week last call for comments Aug. 16.

 Because of regulatory implications, some recommendations, such as one
dealing with security requirements
of NGN, will be considered under ITU's lengthier traditional approval
process, which could produce a final deci-
sion by April 2007.  Regulatory and therefore political considerations of
ITU member states make predicting the
date for final approval difficult.

 Work on a spec that received approval last fall was suspended because
members couldn=92t agree on required
changes.  Work on "Customizable IP networks... by customers=94 will continu=
e
with the aim of agreeing on text dur-
ing an undetermined future meeting, documents said. -- Scott Billquist