Advanced Television

Roadmap for Europe’s digital dividend

September 16, 2009

The results of an extensive study titled "Exploiting the digital dividend: a European approach" led by Hogan & Hartson LLP, media consulting firm Analysys Mason, and economics consultancy DotEcon, have been published. The consortium was tasked by the European Commission with ascertaining what coordinated action is needed at the EU level in order to maximise the benefits from the digital dividend spectrum released by the shift from analogue to more efficient digital television in Europe.

The presentation included the results of a substantial socio-economic analysis into the options for coordinated action across Europe and a series of nine recommended actions, which together form a roadmap for the digital dividend in the EU, including:

– requesting that all Member States make the 790–862MHz sub-band (often referred to as the ‘800MHz band’) available for electronic communications services as soon as possible.

– requiring that all DTT receivers sold in the EU adhere to compression standards that are at least as efficient as MPEG-4, and that they also adhere to minimum interference rejection standards.

The digital dividend frequencies are prime digital spectrum that is attracting interest from mobile and fixed telecom operators, pure Internet players, broadcasters, as well as government spectrum users. The frequencies could enable LTE or other "4G" technology that could provide ADSL-like broadband speeds over mobile devices, including in rural areas.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Broadcast, DTT/DSO, Regulation