Cable Europe has questioned the latest draft of the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP) saying that it leaves open key questions on the coexistence on new services.
“We are encouraged to see that coexistence of new and existing services is regarded as important in the latest text agreed on EU spectrum policy. Promoting competition, investment and the efficient use of spectrum are also key achievements in future-proofing this policy area,” said Cable Europe managing director, Caroline Van Weede. “But we are disappointed to see that the new rules fall short of answering the simple question of what the European consumer is supposed to do if a new device interferes with their television, internet connection or any other consumer equipment operating on the same frequency.”
Cable Europe says it recognizes the need for coexistence as a major achievement in this area of policy, pointing to The Netherlands, which has made commercial agreements a precondition for spectrum acquisition.
However, having issued a call for interference issues to be taken into account as long ago as 2009, the trade body now says future spectrum challenges for consumers will need to be examined more closely.
“The interference issue is not new. It was signaled to the European Commission and national administrations as soon as it was identified,” says Cable Europe Labs Managing Director, Peter Percosan. “Spectrum in Europe is something that almost every single EU citizen relies upon daily in some form. Given its importance, it is disappointing to see that interference has not been given adequate attention on the technical level. Technical bodies, such as CEPT, have an important role to play in ensuring coexistence.”
There have been a series of calls from trade organisations representing the broadcast community, also including DigiTAG, the EBU, BNE and the ACT, warning that interference, particularly from LTE terminals, remains a serious threat.
