Governments have a duty to 'eliminate uncertainty' over the adoption of wireless broadband standards by insisting that standards-setting procedures are 'open, streamlined and independent,' according to Vivian Reding, EU commissioner (Europe) for Information Society and Media.
Speaking at the forum opening 'Living in the Digital World' at ITU, Reding said the best environment for the development of wireless broadband was one where, if there was no chance of a global accord, governments should facilitate 'competition between several open standards.'
Governments' responsibility did not extend to making the choice on standards: that was up to businesses to develop business models which would appeal to consumers. The role of government, instead, was to provide the regime for open competition, to reduce uncertainty and delays.
'Governments can also help the process of standard setting by working with standards agencies to adapt legal systems to combat problems such as patent ambushes,' she said. 'Standards should also offer legal certainty as to the IPR rights that are embedded in standards to make sure that they are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory.'
Reding said the emerging wireless economy was a 'once in a generation opportunity' to achieve a 'digital dividend' that would resonate around the world.
The wrong choice of standard could lock economies 'into long periods of economic underperformance.'
Reding said that today, wireless-based services represented 200 billion euros or 2.5% of the European economy but, for it to grow, the process of allocation radio spectrum had to change.