The ITU has allocated spectrum in the 694-MHz to 790-MHz range for mobile broadband for its Region 1, which includes Central Asia, resulting in global harmonization for the band.
The frequency band was assigned to mobile services in the Americas and APAC in 2007. The digital dividend spectrum was freed up for mobile use due to the adoption of digital television.
But parts of region 2 - which covers Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia - were slower to adopt digital television, leaving the band assigned for broadcasting purposes.
The provisions adopted by the ITU include measures to provide full protection to television broadcasting and aeronautical navigation systems operating in the frequency band.
ITU secretary-general Houlin Zhao commented that the global harmonization of the band “represents a landmark in the development of broadband mobile on a worldwide scale, regardless of location, network or terminal used. It goes a long way in enabling bridging of the digital divide, while fully protecting the other services currently operated in the band.”