The United States apparently isn’t the only place in the world where tectonic changes may be in the future for the use of spectrum previously reserved for television broadcasting.
Last week, Media Broadcast, a European operator of DVB-T broadcast networks, released a statement in response to a decision made following the WRC Global Broadcast Conference in Geneva that could lead to nearly a third of the spectrum used for DVB-T terrestrial television being reassigned to parallel mobile communications.
According to Media Broadcast, doing so endangers the prospects for development of DVB-T and threatens interference-free reception of digital antenna TVs.
“We call upon European institutions, the Federal government and the German regions not to implement the WRC-12 conclusions regarding broadcast frequencies. With the agreements they have concluded in Geneva, the signatories are taking a hatchet to the roots of the digital terrestrial sector,” said Bernd Kraus, CEO of Media Broadcast.
According to the statement, broadcasters already have sacrificed spectrum as frequencies used for television were cut in 2009. In Germany, nearly 20 percent of broadcast spectrum was reassigned for mobile communications.
“In this process, broadcasters already made a significant contribution to the Federal Government's broadband strategy,” the statement said.
Editor's Note: Check out this story for perspective on spectrum use on this side of the pond.
