The European Commission (EC) has adopted a decision that harmonises the technical standards and allocation for 800Mhz (790-862MHz) radio spectrum. This frequency is currently used for many of the old analogue television (TV) services and is expected to be auctioned off prior to 2012 for use by next generation 4G ( WiMAX , LTE ) Mobile Broadband services.

The EC said it strongly supports the use of the 800MHz band for electronic communication services and wants EU countries to act quickly. It's estimated that the spectrum could give an economic boost of up to £38 billion to Europe's economy and help to achieve the EU 2020 Strategy target of high-speed broadband for all by the end of 2013 (with speeds gradually increasing up to 30Mbps and above in 2020).


The new decision means that all EU Member States, including the UK, which decide to make available the 800MHz spectrum band for services other than TV should apply the same harmonised rules. The aim of the rule is simply to ensure that all such services can function without interference.

It's noted that the infrastructure used to provide Mobile Broadband coverage using 800MHz will be around 70% cheaper than those adopted by existing 3rd generation ( 3G ) mobile technology. This would naturally make it a more attractive option. Last year Ofcom estimated that the net benefit to UK consumers of opening up 800MHz for use by Mobile Broadband could be at least £2.5-3 billion.