The WiMAX Forum congratulates the European Commission on the completion
and publication of an important new regulation relating to the 2.6 GHz
(2500-2690MHz) frequency band. The 2.3, 2.6 and 3.5 GHz frequencies are
key bands for Mobile WiMAX technology and will contribute to providing
suitable spectrum for WiMAX™ consumer and
business services around the world.
The 2.6 GHz decision(a) was unanimously supported in the European
Commission’s Radio Spectrum Committee, and it
affords European Union administrations to make decisions in relation to
the technology, services and usage that can be deployed within the band.
It also offers administrations flexibility over the balance of paired
(FDD) and unpaired (TDD) spectrum that can be awarded to operators, and
provides the essential technical framework. The intention is that the
market can decide which technology to deploy in this band, determine the
most appropriate use of this spectrum, and create significant
opportunities through opening the spectrum which will benefit all
consumers.
"The 2.6 GHz decision is the result of many months of work by the
European Commission, supported by the CEPT Electronic Communications
Committee (ECC) and its project teams," said Ron Resnick, president of
the WiMAX Forum. "The WiMAX Forum Regulatory Working Group - and its
European Regional Task Group in particular - contributed extensively to
support and encourage this work via participation in the relevant ECC
activities. The WiMAX Forum is excited to see additional progress being
made in Europe to further empower the individual governing bodies to
make decisions on telecommunications service availability for its
citizens."
This decision was made in addition to the recently published European
Commission Decision 2008/411/EC harmonising the 3.5 GHz band for
electronic communications services and represents a key milestone in the
drive to advance new liberalised approaches to spectrum management
within the European Commission WAPECS (“Wireless
Access Policy for Electronic Communications Services”)
initiative.
"The 2.6 GHz decision is fully in line with the WiMAX Forum’s
policy on spectrum flexibility, and we commend the European Commission
and the ECC on the strong leadership they have shown in moving forward
the spectrum management paradigm in Europe,”
said Tim Hewitt, Director of Regulatory and Spectrum Policy for the
WiMAX Forum. "The acceptance of the 2.6 GHz decision provides a great
deal of regulatory clarity for administrations. The EU administrations
can now justifiably, and with the knowledge they are backed by the full
weight of European Union policy, question the now inappropriate, ECC
Decision (05)05, which is holding back the development of a fully
competitive European mobile broadband market.”
With the 2.6 GHz regulations now in place, EU administrations can
proceed with spectrum awards for this band as a matter of priority.
"The WiMAX Forum encourages the EU administrations to take bold and
imaginative decisions to realise the full social and economic benefits
of the opportunities that the 2.6 GHz decision has created," said
Resnick.
The WiMAX Forum Subscriber and User Forecast Study projects that growth
within the region is expected to be strong, especially in Eastern Europe
where cable and fixed broadband Internet is less prevalent. Europe had
the second highest WiMAX user penetration by the end of 2007 and is
anticipated to have the largest number of operators, followed by Asia
Pacific, Africa/Middle East, Americas and North America.
According to the same report, by 2012 there will be more than 133
million WiMAX users globally and approximately 70 percent of forecasted
WiMAX users will utilize mobile and portable WiMAX devices to access
broadband Internet services. Currently there are more than 305
deployments of WiMAX services in 118 countries worldwide.
For more information on the WiMAX Forum or get additional information on
the WiMAX Forum Subscriber and User Forecast Study, please visit the
WiMAX Forum website at www.wimaxforum.org.
(a) The 2.6 GHz decision 2008/477/EC is titled “Commission
Decision of 13th June 2008 on the
harmonisation of the 2500-2690MHz frequency band for terrestrial systems
capable of providing electronic communications services in the Community”.
It was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on June 24th,
2008 (Official Journal L 163/37).
About WiMAX Forum®
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an industry-led, not-for-profit organization formed to certify and
promote the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless
products based upon the harmonized IEEE 802.16/ETSI HiperMAN standard. A
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