On April 17th, 2007, the Radio Spectrum Committee (RSC) published a report on the use of the Band 2500 MHz to 2690 MHz in the EU. This report is based on a questionnaire (6 questions) sent to the 27 EU Member States; here is a summary of the questions/answers.

QUESTION 1: If there is current use in the band, what is it and by when is it planned to be phased out? Did you already take concrete administrative steps for relocating incumbent users or ending their usage rights in order to free this spectrum? (if yes please specify which measures have been taken)

Answers:

• Currently there is no usage in this band – Austria (sometimes temporary ENG/OB), Belgium (the band is free, the incumbent users have been phased out), Cyprus (no rights for usage granted yet), Hungary (no use because of interference with the adjacent band, used for radars), Luxembourg, Norway, Poland (the band is free for introducing innovative technologies), Sweden (freed up in 2006. the band was formerly used for fixed links)

• Used for military purposes – Bulgaria (relocating frequencies for civil purposes will be possible from the middle of 2007), Czech Republic (military applications may continue until 2012), France (until 2015 but frequencies could be released for market use already around 2010 according to an agreement that the French Ministry of Defence and ARCEP signed in 2000), Italy (band will be available as of January 1st, 2008), Malta, Romania (until 2010)

• ENG/OB - Austria (temporary), Denmark (licences of 5 years duration. They expire in 2008, 2009 and 2010 due to be prolonged), Portugal (exception in Madeira. There the band is used for MMDS, to be phased out until  December 2007)

• Fixed lines and mobile services - Estonia (fixed and mobile services, as of January 1st, 2008- UMTS links planned), Finland (licences until January 1st, 2008, afterwards – public mobile systems), Germany (fixed lines before, as of January 1st, 2008 – mobile services), Slovenia (P-P links until 2008), Spain (almost phase out, January 1st, 2008 – complete liberalisation of the band)

• MMDS - Latvia, Lithuania, Madeira, Slovakia (licences until the end of 2007, as of January 1st, 2008 the band will be cleared)

• Other services - United Kingdom (the band is currently used by PMSE. Ofcom can revoke their licence with a 3-month notice), Greece (for Rural networks. These should have been phase out by 2006. the legal issue to be solved in 2007

QUESTION 2: Do you plan to test the demand for usage rights for the spectrum band? If so, when and how?

• Planned public consultation - Austria (by July 2007, Belgium (2007), Bulgaria (2008-9), Cyprus (end of 2007), Denmark (2007, expected results April, May), Finland (2008-public hearing), France (third quarter of 2007), Italy (2007), Latvia (2007 or 2008), Lithuania (2008), Malta (2007), Sweden (consultation from 2 April to 2 May 2007)

• Closed consultations – the Czech Republic (2006), Germany (in 2005 consultation on possible concepts and a recently published one (April 4th, 2007 on award proceedings for digital cellular mobile services in the frequency bands 1,8 GHz, 2 GHz, 2.6 GHz), the Netherlands (closed on January 31st, 2007), Poland (in 2006, initial consultations), United Kingdom (December 2006)

• No plans (yet)- Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland,  Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (modification of national legislation first), Portugal (no specific consultation on 2.6 GHZ, an ongoing one on NFAT)

• Already planned procedure: Norway- auction for the 2500-2690 frequencies to place in 2007, Spain- tender procedure

QUESTION 3: Will you test demand for using the band for a specific application or service (if so please specify which one) or will there be a general enquiry about the demand for using spectrum for electronic communications services as defined by the Framework Directive?

The following countries will test the demand in the context of a consultation: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic (for technical and other usage conditions), Denmark (probably a general enquiry, no decision yet), France, Germany (already accomplished in 2005), Malta, Poland, Spain

General enquiry - Bulgaria, Denmark (probably), Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden

Undecided (yet) - Estonia, Hungary (the band will note be used), Ireland, Italy (the band is planned for IMT2000/ UMTS systems), Latvia (like Italy), Luxembourg,

On the principal of technological neutrality - Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom

QUESTION 4. Which technical and other usage conditions do you intend to attach to future access rights to the band? Please characterize the usage definition you intend to apply to delimit what a potential service provider acquiring new usage rights can deploy in terms of technology 
 In  Slovenia EC, CEPT, ETSI documents will be applied 

Bulgaria, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden (the proposals from the consultation have been evaluated but no decisions yet), UK (the same as Sweden) have not yet decided as to the technical conditions or are still awaiting the results of launched consultations.

QUESTION 5: What is the planned timing of the authorisation process, in particular: as of which date do you intend to make the spectrum available for new use? As of when can interested parties file applications for the usage rights? What will be the deadline for interested parties to send complete applications to the national regulatory authority?

The majority of the countries have not decided on precise dates and/or procedure. Only Austria, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and to some extent the UK have clear plans for dates and procedure for making spectrum available.

• Austria- applications will be accepted until mid 2008 (no concrete deadline).
• Belgium- spectrum is already available. The BIPT, however, did not receive any application for use of spectrum until the present moment
• Germany has a preliminary timetable:
- first half of 2007 - development of initial drafts for assessment of frequency scarcity
- second half of 2007 – initial drafts for frequency award proceedings
- first half of 2008 – performance of the frequency award proceedings/ frequency auction
• Lithuania- spectrum in the band 2500-2572 MHz and the band 2620-2690 will be respectively available as of January 1st, 2008 and January 1st, 2015. Method of assignment will be settled respectively end of 2007 and the year 2013
• Norway - to hold an auction in October 2007
• Sweden – to hold an auction the first half of 2008
• UK - to hold the award in late 2007

QUESTION 6: At what date do you intend to proceed with the selection of applications? At what date do you plan to announce the selected parties and as of when are newly issued usage rights to become effective according to your planning?

The majority of countries will decide on the date after accomplishing their planned or on-going public consultations and hearings. For the countries which have planned already a date, see the answers of Question 5.

The RSC is a committee established under the Radio Spectrum Decision 676/2002/EC as part of the new regulatory framework for electronic communications which entered into force on April 24th, 2002.

The RSC assists the Commission in the development and adoption of technical implementing measures aimed at ensuring harmonised conditions for the availability and efficient use of radio spectrum, as well as the availability of information related to the use of radio spectrum.

To access the working document presenting the answers to this questionnaire, click here