The EC has launched a public consultation on its radio spectrum policy for the next five years, to ensure equal access for all.
The Commission says that, in addition to offering the same level of access to telephony and broadcasting to users regardless of whether they live in rural or urban areas, better use of spectrum would also boost Europe’s economy by promoting competition in the market for fast wireless services.
Radio services currently contribute around €300 billion to Europe’s GDP, but the Commission notes the spectrum isn’t always used efficiently. Improvements to that efficiency would help the EC delivery ubiquitous broadband access by 2013, it states.
“The daily lives of citizens and business are affected by how we use radio spectrum, and so we are giving them an opportunity to have their say on how we should allocate access to this scarce resource,” EC digital agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes explains. “Their replies will provide useful input for the development of an efficient EU radio spectrum policy.”
Results of the consultation will be discussed at a spectrum summit due to be held by the EC and European Parliament on March 22-23, which will form the basis of a new draft radio spectrum policy that’s due to come into effect mid-2010.
The move is the part of a plan to modify the EU’s telecoms rules, announced by the European Parliament and European Council in November 2009, which aims to set out policies and objectives for radio spectrum use.