A new front has opened up in the clamour for frequencies amid demands from mobile operators for spectrum currently held by DTT.
The EBU says that during last year’s discussions mobile services did not show an interest for the lower band (the VHF band), as the technical characteristics of the UHF band offered them an optimum balance between coverage achieved and antenna size.
However, since then with continued delays to the deployment of digital radio in Band III, the idea of using those frequencies for DTT has been gaining ground, a move rejected by the EBU.
“Digital radio is now growing rapidly in many European countries and needs the frequencies in Band III to expand in other countries. It is crucial that regulators understand that Band III cannot compensate for a reduction of UHF spectrum available for DTT. Broadcasters need to get involved in their country discussions on spectrum allocations and brief their national regulators,” the organisation said in a statement.
The EBU says the amount of spectrum available, just 56MHz, is small compared to what’s planned for DTT in the UHF bands. It also points out that many countries do not transmit TV signals in Band III and new antennas would be required.
