Broadcasting will retain its position as the only primary service operating in the 470-696 MHz frequency band in ITU Region 1.
The decision taken at the ITU World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23) in Dubai includes Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia. PMSE (programme making and special events) applications, such as wireless microphones, will also retain their use of the band.
There had been pressure to re-allocate the bands for telecommunications services, such as high-speed broadband. In the end possible allocations for mobile service were only included in footnotes and even then with stringent requirements for the protection of broadcasting and for coordination with neighbouring countries.
EBU Director of Technology & Innovation Antonio Arcidiacono welcomed what he saw as a positive outcome: “Most EBU Members use DTT (digital terrestrial television) and all of them use PMSE – and the UHF band is the only globally available spectrum for these services. The WRC-23 decision ensures continued access to spectrum and stable regulatory conditions, which are essential for investments and the evolution of DTT and PMSE, including the introduction of new technologies such as UHDTV, 5G Broadcast and WMAS (wireless multichannel audio systems).”
However, there is expected to be a review of spectrum use of the 600MHz band and future needs at WRC-31.
