The European Parliament has voted for a series of reforms that it is hoped will lead to better management of the radio spectrum through the digital dividend.
It is hoped that the package, part of measures to reform the telecoms sector within the European Union, will help extend broadband into rural areas that are currently underserved by the technology. According to the European Commission, just 70% of those living in rural areas are able to access broadband services.
The Commission hopes that the new measures will encourage the use of new technologies, such as wireless broadband, in areas where fibre infrastructure is too costly.
The package was welcomed by the EBU, which it said backed Parliament’s earlier strong commitment to dynamic spectrum management and audiences’ access to broadcasters’ digital services.
Separately, the providers of broadband services will be required to be more transparent over any traffic management techniques and their impact on service quality. It means that ISPs will have to upfront about any caps placed on bandwidth usage.
