The European Union (EU) has agreed on a joint position for the upcoming negotiations about frequency spectrum allocation at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23).
According to sources familiar with the matter, the EU’s position sees the UHF spectrum between 470-694 MHz – currently used for DTT in many European countries – remain primarily allocated to broadcast use, but mobile is added on a secondary level, next to PMSE.
An EU source confirmed to Broadband TV News that the Council of the EU formally adopted the EU’s position in view of WRC-23 on September 18, 2023, but declined to comment on the content, arguing that this was sensitive information not to be disclosed ahead of WRC-23.
At WRC-23, taking place from November 20 to December 15, 2023 in Dubai, the member states of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) will decide about global frequency allocation from 2030 onwards.
There has been strong interest by mobile network operators in acquiring usage rights in the UHF spectrum between 470-694 MHz as these frequencies enable widespread coverage, but broadcasters were concerned that this could question the future of DTT and new standards such as 5G Broadcast.
It remains to be seen, however, whether the ITU members will follow the EU’s position at WRC-23 or opt for a different constellation.
