The European Union has reached an agreement on opening up the 700 MHz band to mobile services by 2020, with an option for some countries to wait until 2022. The sub-700 MHz band will remain available for broadcasting until at least 2030.
In February the European Commission proposed a deadline of 30 June 2020 for releasing the spectrum. However, some member states wanted longer, in order to protect small broadcasters or other existing users of the frequencies. In a compromise now with the European Parliament and Commission, the EU Council agreed to the mid-2020 deadline, but with the possibility of up to a two-year delay under certain conditions. Both institutions are expected to formally endorse the agreement in the coming weeks.
Member states must adopt and make public their national plans for releasing this band by 30 June 2018. They will need also to conclude cross-border coordination agreements by the end of 2017.
In the sub-700 MHz band (470-694 MHz), the agreement allows broadcasting to remain the primary use until 2030. However, the agreement allows member states to take a more flexible approach and open up some spectrum to mobile services, depending on take-up of digital TV services in the individual countries.
The GSMA, the mobile industry's lobby group, said the decision on the sub-700 MHz band "lacked ambition" and could hold back the development of 5G in Europe. It was more positive on the 700 MHz deal, saying this provides certainty for operators and avoids the problems with the 800 MHz band, when some EU countries took longer than others to auction the spectrum.
In the EU, France, Germany and Finland have already auctioned the 700 MHz band to operators. Other countries have taken a more cautious approach, such as Sweden, which recently said it will first look at use of the frequencies for public safety systems.
