EU Commissioner: Coordinated Effort Needed to Maximize Benefits of Analog Switchoff

[Satellite News 09-17-09] The European Commission (EC) wants to bring the benefits of modern communications and media to people throughout Europe, and with the switch off of analog signals approaching quickly, how the spectrum freed up by the change can be used to meet this goal is a key topic.
Viviane Reding, the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Information Society and Media, is responsible for making sure this spectrum is used to the best effect. Reding spoke with Satellite News about spectrum issues related to analog switchoff and her expectations over the next year.

Satellite News: Is having a coordinated approach as Europe moves to digital broadcasting one of your top priorities?

Reding: This has been indeed one of my top priorities since I have taken office in 2004. The spectrum freed up by the switchover from analog to digital television has been called “beach front property,” as it is one of the best radio frequencies available for commercial use. It can carry a signal far and still penetrate building walls. If services such as wireless broadband are to become reality, then this is the most economical spectrum for this to happen. The digital dividend should be big enough for several services to make use of it, including a significant place for future broadcasting services, as they also offer big opportunities. We do not want to make a choice among potential uses at EU level. Wjust want to open up the maximum opportunities for member states and then leave the market decide.

Satellite News: Would you say the approach is very fragmented right now?

Reding: The approach in Europe is not fragmented as far as the aims or the general directions are concerned. Already last year the Council of Ministers of the EU set 2012 as the target date for analog switchoff. But as some member states are planning to move forward faster, this coordination must be stepped up now. The urgency comes in with the growing need to boost economic growth and stimulate recovery. We should not forget that most wireless communications are already digital and that only terrestrial broadcasting remains partially analog. Satellite broadcasting already went digital years ago. We therefore need to move forward as quickly as possible to take full advantage of the spectrum efficiency of today’s technology.

Satellite News: How optimistic are you that the various countries will agree to some European-wide roadmap?

Reding: I am quite optimistic. If Europe is to get the maximum benefits from the digital dividend, the logical next step is to adopt an EU-wide strategic roadmap for the coming years. This approach makes sense both in terms of technical efficiency as well as in positive economic impact. The roadmap would strike a balance between the benefit of working together and leaving sufficient flexibility to member states to accommodate regional or national specificities. We respect the need for subsidiarity, in particular to allow member states to exercise their prerogatives in the field of audiovisual and cultural policy. What we want to prevent is a situation where the choices on spectrum of one Mmember state could make it unusable for new services in other member states.
We should also not just put broadband in the 800 megahertz band and leave it at that but instead establish a vision of how to ensure that broadcasting can develop better services and that citizens have better equipment. We should enable wireless broadband while ensuring other uses such as wireless microphones for stage productions, etc.

Satellite News: If this roadmap can be agreed on, can you give us a timeline of what would happen?

Reding: We have identified two urgent actions. Firstly, the need to set a firm date for analog switchoff by January 1, 2012, in order to remove any remaining uncertainty in the markets. Secondly, we need to establish the technical conditions that will enable the introduction of other services in the upper part of the previously analog TV spectru’, namely in the 800 megahertz band, as several member states would like to advance quickly. All the other proposals will be addressed with the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers in the context of the future spectrum action program. The timetable will be part of this discussion.

Satellite News: How do you think this spectrum might be used?

Reding: One attractive possibility will be wireless broadband, as this would provide a great leap towards closing the digital divide between urban and rural areas and enable broadband services throughout the EU. However in some member states, broadcasting or mobile broadcasting may still be the preferred option, and in other cases there may be a lengthy period in which an orderly migration of television transmission services towards lower parts of the digital dividend bands can take place without interference. The scope of a decision must enable such a choice.

Satellite News: What will be the economic benefit of this move?

Reding: This figure is the result of a detailed socio-economic analysis which was performed by experts working on the Commission study on the digital dividend. It represents the estimated maximum economic value that can be gained from opening up the digital dividend to new services, without reducing terrestrial broadcasting, over a period of 15 years – if full implementation of our proposal was accomplished in all member states by 2015. Among other aspects the analysis focuses on the initial spectrum band known as the 800 megahertz band. The maximum benefits of moving to digital are estimated to reach 50 billion euros, and while economic modelling always involves a margin of sensitivity to various factors, the estimated minimum benefits are also significant: at 20 billion euros ($28.8 billion).

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