Weekly Wrap: resilience is the new spectrum policy buzzword

Much of the discussion at last week’s Future Connectivity Summit in Brussels focused on the importance of the DNA, especially when it comes to the simplification of rules and procedures in the telecommunications sector. EU regulators are also hoping the Act will help to overcome market fragmentation. 

Julia Inmaculada Criado Casado, chair of the Radio Spectrum Policy GroupRSPG stands for the Radio Spectrum Policy …, told the event that the DNA proposal contained “important and timely elements for spectrum, notably the focus on greater coherence and simplification”.

Network resilience is also growing in importance. “Crisis coordination is not optional, it’s essential,” said Marko Mišmaš, chair of European regulators’ organisation BERECBEREC stands for the Body of European Regu….

There is a heightened focus on technology that can be used both for civilian and military purposes, such as GPS and drones, and how this technology can be used to ensure security. 

The regulators emphasised the need for Europe to improve its safety systems, not solely on the military side but also on the civilian side, for example, with sensing solutions for subsea cable damage. 

Some of the forum discussions explored how mobile operators are working in the defence sector and with governments to find more robust solutions in light of more and more spoofing and jamming incidents being reported by European regulators. 

Eric Fournier, Director for Spectrum Planning and International Affairs at French spectrum agency ANFR, highlighted the importance of satellite services in achieving the DNA’s aims, saying that Europe is “the only region of the world where any satellite operator can provide services without constraint”.

He emphasised the need to ensure that satellite operators comply with the ITUThe International Telecommunication U… Radio Regulations and do not cause harmful interference. He also mentioned the need for enforcement procedures. 

Nonetheless, with the various spectrum contexts differing across EU member states, he explained that satellite coordination at the EU level presents challenges.

“We have thousands of [pieces of] correspondence with the ITU,” Fournier said. “We cannot have a procedure at the EU level with all member states every time we have something like this.”

Here’s what else PolicyTracker covered this week:

• According to a new report, 5G coverage came at great expense in Europe, with an estimated spending of over €30 billion on 5G spectrum licences and almost €50 billion at spectrum auctions in the past five years
• 5G investment in Europe may be lagging because operators are not seeing any demand for advanced 5G services
• RSPG’s draft 6G spectrum plan suggests that the upper 6 GHz band will be the primary band for 6G’s introduction by 2030
• Millicom has acquired Telefonica’s spectrum holdings in Chile
• Pakistan is preparing to auction 597.2 MHz across six spectrum bands on 10 March
• Mexico is planning to launch spectrum auctions in the second half of this year