Last week we reported that Switzerland was going to switch off free-to-air digital terrestrial television (DTT). But what is the country's regulator going to do with all that UHF spectrum? Clearing a frequency band earlier than expected is probably every regulator's dream. So what are Ofcom's intentions? An auction? A secondary… Read more...

An O2 network failure in the UK has shown how mobile underpins vital infrastructure but is Huawei the right target for our national security fears? Even the EU is now expressing concerns. Chinese technology companies are an emerging powerhouse and banning them may soon be impractical as well as self-defeating. Read more...

For the past quarter century, Europe’s approach to spectrum has been founded on the belief in auctions. But this week we reported on a Paris seminar which showed that industry is open to new approaches.  Being innovation-led is a laudable goal. The UK, for example, has recently debated whether it would… Read more...

Will 2018 will be remembered as the year when auctions passed their peak? Or maybe government and regulators are simply learning how to blend financial requirements with other criteria in more creative ways when they award spectrum? India, for example, noted for repeat auctions and eye-watering reserve prices, appears to be… Read more...

Regulatory planning for 5G continues apace amid industry concern about its commercial prospects, particularly in the mmWave bands. In an interview, Andreas Geiss from the European Commission told PolicyTracker that 5G's promise lies in adding new groups of business customers. 5G’s technological prospects are unprecedented, but so is the industry… Read more...

Only the 3.4 - 3.6 GHz and 3.6 - 3.7 GHz frequencies have been harmonised for mobile use at ITU level but there is growing support among  vendors and operators to see 4G and future 5G services in  3.4 - 4.2 GHz.   Regulators in Europe plan to allocate 3.4-3.8 GHz… Read more...

Which approaches to spectrum policy will work best for 5G? That is the question addressed by a European Commission study published today. Study on Spectrum Assignment in the European Union was written by PolicyTracker together with LS Telcom and VVA. The report covers 5G services aimed at traditional mobile customers as… Read more...

If Europe can overcome its fragmentation issues at 3.4-3.8 GHz, it will have more suitable 5G spectrum in this band than the US, which is adopting the innovative CBRS approach. Read more...

The recently published opinion of the ‘Article 29 Data Protection Working Party’ on ‘Geolocation services on smart mobile devices’ concludes that generally specific opt-in user consent will be required to collect and use geolocation information for information society services. Read more...