The European Commission has decided to add another 120 MHz to the radio spectrum portfolio for 4G technologies, such as long term evolution (LTE), around the 2 GHz band. This band is currently solely used for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) wireless communications, known as 3G networks.

The decision makes it mandatory for member states to open the relevant spectrum by June 30, 2014 at the latest, and lays down harmonised technical conditions to allow coexistence between different technologies.

The EU will enjoy up to twice the amount of spectrum for high speed wireless broadband as in the United States, namely around 1,000 MHz.

The Commission’s decision means mobile operators will have more opportunities to invest in improved mobile networks, which benefits the whole economy, and consumers will, over time, enjoy faster data transfers and more broadband services. Greater access to spectrum for 4G technologies will make a substantial contribution to the digital agenda broadband target of universal EU broadband coverage of at least 30 Mb/s by 2020.

Radio spectrum is an extremely valuable but increasingly scarce resource. Its socio-economic importance has dramatically increased as wireless services such as broadband access and the ‘internet of things’ become pervasive through all domains of business and society. Industry sources predict that global mobile data traffic will increase by 26 per cent annually by 2015. By then, more than seven billion phones, tablets and other mobile devices will be connectable to the internet.

Exploding wireless data traffic alongside insufficient vacant spectrum calls for a smarter approach to spectrum management, the Commission said.

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